A Stormy Reunion
by wolf777
Summary: Mercenary, Cloud Strife takes on Shinra to rescue the last surviving ancient, Aeris. What he finds on the way is truly electrifying and an unlikely duo need each other to solve their forgotten pasts. CloudxLight. Spans ff7-ff13-2-?
1. The Imprisoned Angel

It was finally over.. I looked up at my former home, now encased in beautiful crystal thanks to Fang and Vanille's sacrifice. With the Fal'cie gone, only the thin crystal pillar stops my home from falling to its death.. But none of that matters anymore.. After all of my pain.. All of my suffering.. I have achieved my goal and saved my sister. I watch the group from behind with a smile on my face. Even from back here I can feel the hope radiating off them because they know everything will be alright. Or at least that's what I thought...

I feel the ground shake beneath my feet and I turn quickly to find the source. The dusty floor begins to lift like smoke, hiding the earth like a veil. In my panic I turned to the others to find them oblivious to what was happening, continuing on towards the crystal pillar. My voice cries out for them as the land begins to collapse all around me and I'm left with no choice but to run. The uneasy ground I'm sprinting on becomes to much for even my agility, and I slip, catching the earthy ledge with one hand before throwing my other over its surface to climb up. That's when it happened. From the depths of the earth I feel something grip my throat as I struggle to hold on.

"Get off me!" I roar, still unsure of what had such a firm grip around my neck. "Serah!" I scream as my fingers finally give way and I fall into the darkness, consumed by the earth.

I hit the ground with my eyes still closed, not wanting to see my own death coming. The voice of a man immediately draws my attention and I attempt to stand on what I'm sure is a fractured leg. My worst fears are confirmed when I hear a snap and I keel over in pain on the cold and damp floor. Stood over me was a middle aged man with long black hair that was as scruffy as his lab coat; who's glasses magnified the wickedness in his eyes.

"Excellent! It worked better than I could possibly have hoped for!" He said excitedly, not in the least bit concerned for my welfare.

The true extent of my situation became clear when I turned my head away from the mad man to find two tanks filled with green liquid that emitted a faint glow as it bubbled. Inside each container was a man. One taller and more muscular with black hair and the other a smaller man with blonde spiky hair, who's glowing eyes looked down on me with no life behind them. The mad scientist grinned wickedly as I turned to face him, this time with a clear idea of what was going to happen to me. I felt my gunblade holster pressing against my spine as I lay on it, telling me my trusted weapon was still inside. With all the strength I had left, my hand reached behind my back and withdrew the gunblade from its home before I brought its barrel closer to the man who stood over me. Foreseeing my attack, the man pulls a rid from his pocket, extending it with the flick of his wrist as it makes contact with my weapon, discharging a lone bullet towards the tanks, forming a hairline crack on the bottom of one of them. With a touch of a button, the rod that bats my weapon from my grip becomes electrified, buzzing with volts as he points it's tip next to my chest.

"My name is professor Hojo my dear.. And me and you are going to test a theory.." He laughed as the rod touched my skin, turning my world black for a second time. _"Research log 1. Date is 1_ _8_ _th_ _December 0006. New specimen is to be examined..."_

 **(Almost twelve months later)**

"Hey, you oughta know this building well." Barret says as the three of us look upon the Shinra headquarters.

"...Not really, now that I think about it... this's the first time I've ever been to the headquarters." I answer. Unsure how it was possible that I hadn't been.

"I heard about this place before.. Every floor aboth the 60th is special and not easy to get to even for employees. Must be where they took Aeris. The security's pretty light now. Alright, let's go!" He adds as he makes his way towards the main entrance.

"Wait a second!" I hear Tifa shout to my left. "You're not thinking of just going right through the main entrance, are you?"

"Well what else does it look like!? I'm gonna kick some Shinra butt and.."

"That's not going to work! We've got to find another way!" Tifa pleads.

"Ain't gonna be no other way! If we keep wastin' time like this, Aeris'll..."

"I know that, but if we get caught here.." The brunette beside me begins as she turns to face me. "Hey, Cloud. What should we do?"

I'm truly split on this decision. Part of me wants to kick the front door down and put the fear of god in everyone in that wretched building, but my mind is telling me to find another way. All I know is I've come too far to be stopped now. I look around quickly, finding what looks like a fire exit stairwell to the left that looks like it would reduce the risk of getting caught dramatically.

"Let's sneak in quietly.." I reply, instantly getting a smile of approval from Tifa and a huff from the gun armed man.

After thirty grueling flights of stairs my legs are cursing me for my decision and I still have another twenty nine to go. We press on, stopping every ten flights for a quick breather and to listen for anyone coming our way until we come to the end of the line. I attempt to open the door just a crack to take a peak but the door slid open automatically, revealing my like a prize to three armed guards across the floor. They hesitate momentarily at the sight of my Solider uniform but quickly realize I'm a hostile when I draw my sword and charge. Me and Tifa make quick work of the guards, before Barret had even made it through the door, not wanting his gun arm to alert the entire building of our presence. Turning the body of one of the guards over, I pat him down in search of a keycard, eventually finding one in his chest pocket with the number sixty on it.

"This will take us to the next floor.." I say as I walk to the lift door that was being guarded only moments ago.

The door opens and I get a brief shock when I see the outside world. The almost entirely glass lift ran up and down the outside of the building, giving you a good view of Midgar the higher you went. Taking the cardkey, I swiped it on the control panel, gaining access to it within moments. The buttons one to sixty light up, confirming I have access to them so I press sixty and wait for the movement.

"This is the real thing. Don't let your guard down." Barret advises as the lift reaches it's destination.

We quickly leave the lift, praying that the security camera hasn't spotted us and sneak past the roaming guards that march up and down the far end of the room. I take the lead as we reach the stairs, following it up to the 61st floor where a large lobby awaits us. In it's center stands a large tree that contrasts greatly with the cold marble floors and polished metal walls. Somehow nobody pays attention to the three of us as we pass through the room of people, looking for the lift. When I find the metal lift doors on the left hand wall I make my way towards them, taking in the cleaner air in the room thanks to the old tree, before remembering the number on my cardkey.

"What should we do?" Tifa asks.

"Why don't you say you lost yours, Cloud? You got a Soldier uniform on." Barret suggests.

"It's worth a try.." I answer, unable to think of an alternative solution.

Looking around the room, I spot a man with a sharp suit on talking to someone on the phone. After a deep breath to flush the nerves of being recognized away I approach the man who holds his hand out arrogantly as I start to speak.

"Oh, I see... You must be that whatcha call it... Shinra, inc. Repair devision! You know, it looks like this building is starting to fall apart." He begins to scald me as if it was somehow my fault. "This door was just pushed open. You ought to fix this right away. Oh yeah, and take a look on the other floors too. I'll give you this." He finishes pushing a keycard against my chest. If I wasn't so awestruck that I got what I came for without uttering a word his attitude would have earned him a beating.

Tifa looks at me with her crimson eyes filled with pride when I turn to face her with the keycard in my hand and Barret looks smug that his idea worked. We make our way to the lift and take it to the next floor, hoping that we would catch a break eventually and be able to skip a few. The lift door opens and my mako eyes where met with two doors with brass plaques hung next to them.

"They're libraries." Tifa says as she reads the signs.

"Let's keep looking, there must be something else on this floor.." I hear my self say as I turn left and then right until I spot someone stood outside a small office door.

"Hi, I'm the deputy mayor. If you're looking for the mayor, he's in his office." The man said with a warm smile.

I give the man an appreciative nod and step inside the dingy office to find an old man wearing a tatty tweed suit, pacing the floor. When he looks at me a warm smile wrinkles his face more than it already was and his eyes light up in excitement.

"Hmm? Oh, and who might you be?" He asks curiously. "You all must be those.. ahem..." The man added, causing my fingers to twitch, ready to draw my sword. "Me? I'm Domino, the mayor of Midgar.. Actually, I'm mayor in name only. The city and everything in it is really run by Shinra, inc. My only real job is watching over Shinra's documents..." Domino says as he clenches his fists. "Me! The mayor! A librarian!"

After we sit and listen to his rant about Shinra he offered us the keycard to the next floor; but only if we guessed his password. With no clue on where to start we leave the room and search the rooms full of documents unsure of what we were even doing. All I know is if indulging in a bored old man's game gets my closer to Aeris without sounding an alarm then that's what I'll do. We all split up and search the archives with me taking the Space Dev, Research Library. I've no idea what I'm looking for so I just search for anything out of place in the hopes that the old man had hidden his clue in the mass of books and folders.

Nearly an hour passed and I'd only made it to the middle shelf on the far left of the room when a leather backed book catches my eye labeled "Breakdown of Soldier members by class". I skim through the book, learning about the ranks and dress code before closing the book again. _Shouldn't I already know this?..._ I thought, unsure why most of what was in the book was new to me. Just as my hand lifts the book back to it's place I find the word BOMB in bold letters, roughly drawn on its gilded edges. _Hmmm..._

"The password is BOMB." I say with confidence.

"I never thought you'd get it on the first try... Just goes to show you can't judge a book by it's cover. Oh well, a promise is a promise. Take this too." Mayor Domino sighs as he hands over the next keycard and an elemental materia.

"Why are you helping us?" I hear Tifa ask curiously.

"To mess with them, of course! Shinra's been torturing me forever." The old man replies.

Our ears are subjected to another short rant about Shinra that Barret was actually enjoying before we finally left his office. Heading straight for the lift we head to the next floor which turns to be some form of storage warehouse. I wanted to skip this floor but Tifa suggested that we should look around. Thankfully I did as after a quick crawl through some air conditioning vents we had managed to obtain some armour, an accessory and an all materia, all of which could come in handy when we rescue Aeris.

Continuing on we eventually ended up on the 66th floor which housed a large meeting room. Our presence suddenly became observed by everyone who passed us as we made our way through the floor. The hallways around the meeting room are covered In cameras and the uneasy glances from workers was enough to realize we should not be here. Rounding the corner we jog to the end before I push Tifa rather unceremoniously into the mens toilet, followed by Barret who felt our stay could be announced at any moment.

"Now what?" Tifa asks when she realizes just where she is.

"We can't go wandering around this floor for much longer, that's fo' sure." Barret sighs.

Determined to find a solution I check the toilets to make sure we aren't being listened to when I hear the faint voice of president Shinra. I look around to find the source of the voice, initially thinking it's a cell phone but eventually by eyes look to the roof and at a large, steel vent that must serve as the air conditioning for the floor. Smiling at my luck, I stand on the seat and pull off the mesh cover as Barret follows me into the cubicle to find out what I'm doing.

"If you think I'm going in that tiny pipe you outta ya damn mind..." He protests.

"You wanna hear what Shinra is up to or not?" I fire back bluntly.

"Boys... Please no fighting this time.." Tifa warns us as if we where two kids.

Not waiting for an answer I climb onto the toilet and into the air conditioning duct followed closely by Tifa who climbs up much more gracefully that Barret who spends 2 minutes cursing under his breath. With the meeting in progress, the three of us carefully crawl down the metallic tunnel until we see another mesh vent. Below a large table seats five people, one we all recognize as president Shinra himself.

"Considering those factories we already set up and all of the investments, the damage is estimated at approximately 10 billion gil." A man in a blue suit says, standing from his seat as he spoke.

"We're not rebuilding.." The president says coldly.

"What?" The man says in disbelief.

"We're leaving sector 7 as it is.. And restarting the Neo-Midgar plan." President Shinra says finally.

"...Then the ancients?"

"The promised land will soon be ours.." The fat, blonde president says.

I look back from the vent to look at Tifa who has a look of equal confusion over what they were talking about. They continued to talk about their plans and about raising the mako rates and destroying Avalanche, to which we both give Barret a look that said 'don't do anything stupid' as professor Hojo walks into the meeting room with an irritating smugness about him. Listening to him call Aeris inferior and describe her as a specimen made my blood boil and this time it was my turn to be calmed down.

The meeting concludes and I know if I followed Hojo, then he would lead me to where Aeris was being held. We crawl out of the tunnel as fast as possible and race out of toilet and down the hallway, stopping behind the corner of the meeting room as Hojo takes the stairs to the next floor. Once the coast was clear we chase after the man, each of us mentally preparing for a battle.

After a quick sprint up the stairs I'm just a few feet behind Hojo. How easy it would be to kill him now is the only thought in my mind but Aeris could be anywhere and we can't afford to be hear all day. I take cover between some large crates and a strange metal tank as the twisted scientist looks into a glass container across the room containing a red furred animal with a flaming tail and one ochre eye. The beast spots us hiding but does not react to our presence. Instead it just lays down like a dog, no undoubtedly saddened by it's imprisonment.

"Is this today's specimen?" A man in a gray suit asks, walking up to him.

"Yes. We're starting right away. Raise it to the upper level." Hojo commands. "My precious specimen..." He adds as both men leave the room.

Tifa is the first to stand from our hiding spot and she heads immediately for the imprisoned animals container. Her delicate fingers touch the glass as she looks at the beast with sad eyes. She begins to talk about experiments but I zone out feeling my head turn to the right subconsciously onto a dome shaped, metal container with a small window that glowed a bright purple. I don't know why but I feel myself drawn to the container, as if being pulled by a magnet.

"Jenova..." I mumble as I look through the glass at a headless, humanoid monster that oozes evil.

Painful memories flood my mind until I'm left clutching my head on the ground in agony. Coming to my aid, Tifa places a hand on my back, supporting it as I stood as I start to mumble again.

"Jenova... Sephiroth's... So.. they've brought it here..."

"Cloud, be strong." Tifa comforts.

"Did you see it?" I ask

"See what?" The Avalanche leader asks, still with no idea whats wrong.

"It's moving... Still alive?"

Barret walks over to the container and looks inside, recoiling in shock at the sight of it.

"Where's it's fuckin' head? This whole thing's stupid. Let's keep goin'." He says, still visibly flustered.

I stumble to my feet and walk away from the container as images I don't understand flicker through my mind. On the back wall of the room is a service lift that will take us where we need to go and to the right a box that Barret quickly, searches, finding some poison materia.

"Okay lets go!" Barret shouts. "Where the hell is he now!?"

A glass container caught my eye between the piles of crates and my legs once again took me there seemingly on their own. The tank was filled with glowing mako and inside was a beautiful young woman. Her clothes where like nothing he had ever seen on Gaia, the same as her pale pink hair that flowed in the liquid. Again my head burnt with pain as I saw the image of the woman laying on a stone floor, looking at me with frightened eyes and Hojo standing over her with a metal baton.

 **A/N: New story from me. Still a Cloudxlight fic but it will follow the actual stories relatively closely. I'll still be carrying on with the other story for those interested and i'll be doing this on the side. I do have a question which I need answering though. Can I write a POV story? Does what i've wrote make sense? Or should I continue it in the same style of my other stories as a sort of 3rd party narrator? As apposed to a POV, I seem to be saying 'I' a lot in this lol, not sure if it reads as fluid as my others. Please let me know what you think, don't be nice, be honest.**

 **Wolf.**


	2. The Great Escape

**Cloud's POV**

A glass container caught my eye between the piles of crates and my legs once again took me there seemingly on their own. The tank was filled with glowing mako and inside was a beautiful young woman. Her clothes where like nothing he had ever seen on Gaia, the same as her pale pink hair that flowed in the liquid. Again my head burnt with pain as I saw the image of the woman laying on a stone floor, looking at me with frightened eyes and Hojo standing over her with a metal baton.

"Yo, Spiky!" Barret calls, snapping me out of my stare.

I head back through the maze of crates, taking one final look at the imprisoned woman before I'm met with the crossed arms of Avalanche's dark skinned leader. Ignoring his impatient look and Tifa's crimson eyes, that always seemed to be trying to read my mind, I pull the scissor gate style door open on the goods lift and we ascend to the next level. Before the lift has even stopped I see what I came for. Aeris lay in a large glass container in the center of the room as Hojo peered in on her as if she was nothing but an experiment to him.

"Aeris!" I roar as I sun out of the lift, ready to free her.

"Aeris? Oh, that's her name? What do you want?" The wicked scientist asks without a care in the world.

"We're taking Aeris back." I demand.

"Outsiders..." Hojo mutters.

"Shoulda noticed it earlier, you..." Barret begins to shout.

"There are so many frivolous things in the world." Hojo rambles as Barret gets closer to the him, aiming his prosthetic gun at the man. "Are you going to kill me? I don't think you should. The experiment here is extremely delicate. Without me, who could operate it? Hmm?"

"Ugh.." I sigh, realizing destroying the container could hurt Aeris.

"That's right. I recommend you think things out logically before you make any rash moves. Now, bring in the specimen!" He shouts to a man I hadn't noticed until now.

The man runs to a control room that's hidden behind a blast shield and a faint, mechanical whine grows louder and louder. Everyone's attention turns to the glass container that Aeris is trapped in and our faces become plastered with horror when the amber furred beast from the floor below is brought inside the glass box by a central lift. The young flower girl jumps to her feet and bangs the glass frantically as the beast shows it's impressive canines, calling my name in muffled desperation.

"What do you think you're doin'!" I roar at the scientist who is watching the flower girl with great interest.

"Lending a helping hand to an endangered species... Both of them are on the brink of extinction.. If I don't help, all these animals will disappear.." He answers, genuinely believing his words.

"Animal? That's terrible! Aeris is a human being!" Tifa shouts.

"You gonna pay!" Barret warns.

"Barret, can't you do something?" I plead, desperately wanting Aeris out of her glass prison.

"Awright! Step back!" He replies, taking aim at the glass.

"Stop!" Hojo shouts, but it's too late, Barret unleashes a hail of bullets into the top of the glass, careful not to hit Aeris with any ricochets.

Barret stops as the cylinder fills with blinding light that even has the frighteningly calm scientist worried enough to race to the container door.

"Wh...what are you do- Oh! My precious specimens.." The long haired man panics.

As Hojo presses his face to the glass the door slides open and the light fades, leaving him no time to dodge the amber furred beast, who leaped out of it's confinement and sunk his teeth into Hojo's shoulder, sending them both ten feet across the room.

"Now's our chance to get Aeris!" I shout to no one in particular and race into rescue her.

"Thanks, Cloud." Her soft voice says to me as I pull her to her feet and usher her out of the container.

The floor shakes as I start to make my way out of the container that makes me look down the hole in the center. The lift that brought the wolf like animal up to Aeris was rising once more, this time with something much more unpleasant.

"Cloud... What's wrong?" Tifa asks as she watches me step back slowly away from the rising lift.

"The elevator is moving." I mumble as I work out what to do now.

"This is no ordinary specimen! This is a very ferocious specimen!" Hojo screams as he tries to clamber away from the four legged beast that turns to face us all.

"He's rather strong. I'll help you all out." The best says with a wise and calming voice, taking us all by surprise.

"It talked!?" Tifa squeeks, literally jumping in shock.

"I'll talk as much as you want later, miss." The beast says with a polite demeanor.

"We'll take care of that monster." I say to the animal. "Barret, take care of her..."

Barret does as instructed and flees with Aeris as I turn back to the animal who offered to fight by our side.

"What's your name?"

"Hojo has named me Red xiii... A name with no meaning whatsoever with me. Call me whatever you wish." He replies.

I'm initially curious as to why the beast didn't just tell me his name but now was not the time for debate.

"Red it is.." I say with a nod. "Come on!"

The humanoid creature stomps out of the container with slime oozing from its sewn together body. It's shoulders looked larger than the rest of it's body, the right of which was equipped with a large, shark like jaw. I recoil with the smell of the monster as I draw my buster sword, choosing the intestines that hung from the outside of its body as my first target. Taking charge, I race towards the monster with my sword coiled back, ready to strike when it summons three, orange bugs that form a line in front of it. One of the orange bugs begins to roll on the spot before launching itself at me, slamming into my chest and stopping my advance in an instant.

"Keep them busy!" I shout to Tifa and Red as I throw myself back upright.

No sooner had I spoke, Red sent a wave of fire at two of the bug like creatures and Tifa drop kicked the other, leaving me an opening to restart my attack. The creature swings it's fleshy claw at me but I duck under it just in time and bring my blade slashing up from right to left, cutting the pipe like organs in half. A thick green liquid pours from it's wound as it shrieks before going on the offensive and releasing a plume of purple mist that burns our lungs like acid. With my forearm over my mouth to stop me choking, I charge once more at the creature, this time leaping into the air and bringing the buster sword down on it with all the strength I could muster, cleaving into it's shoulder blade dropping it to the ground. I feel the heat brush past my face as Red sends a burning fireball at it, finishing the monster off, leaving behind only the smell of burnt and rotting flesh.

"Aeris, you alright?" I ask as I see her and Barret run back towards us.

"She seems alright... In many ways..." Tifa answers with a slight bitterness in her voice that clashes with her usual, warm tone.

"I have the right to choose, too. I don't like two legged things." Red answers, also picking up on the brunette's tone.

"What are you?" Barret asks bluntly, asking the question that's undoubtedly in everyone's mind.

"An informed Question. But difficult to answer.. I am what you see.." The amber furred beast replies, becoming more mysterious with each word. "... You must have many questions, but first, let's get out of here. I'll lead the way."

"Cloud... So you did come for me..." Aeris says softly as she gives me a warm smile.

Red apologies to Aeris for scaring her with the utmost insincerity, before Barret's booming voice deafens us all as he demands we leave the building now we have Aeris back; A request I'm more than willing to follow. Quickly realizing just how large our group had became, I decide to split us into two groups to increase our chances of escape; sending Aeris with Barret as danger seems to follow me at every opportunity. Now with my childhood friend at my side and a strange talking beast that I wish to know more about, we set off to the 66th floor to meet up with the others.

I lead the others back to the service elevator and we head down to the floor Jenova is being held on. As the lift door slides open and I take my first step onto the 67th floor but am soon past by Tifa and Red who are eager to get out of the building; the beast especially. I wonder just how long he's been inside that container. Once again, I'm caught lagging behind as my head glances over in the direction of the woman in the mako container that is barely visible over the stacks of crates. A piercing pain drops me to my knees and I close my eyes to wait for the pain to subside. Again, a vision forms in my head, the same as before. Hojo stands over the seemingly defenseless woman but she quickly reaches her hand behind her back and pulls out a strange weapon, only for it to be batted away by the scientist's baton. A stray shot fires from her weapon but the bullet hits neither of them. I'm forced to watch the pink haired woman be electrocuted until she passes out as I just stand watching... Why am I watching?...

"Are you okay?.." I hear Red say with a compassion I did not expect from such an animal as my eyes prise themselves open.

"Fine." I lie with a faint smile.

"We really must keep moving.." He says softly.

I nod as my mind still tries to process the fact the animal can talk; a welcome distraction to what my mind has just shown me. We run past Jenova's tank and down the long corridor that curves around to the left until we come to the door to the stairs, taking them to the floor below. Sneaking through the floor that held the meeting we had eavesdropped on, my eyes found the lift that with the push of a button would take us to the first floor, only one flight of stairs away from freedom. Tifa presses the button for the lift and after a tense fifteen seconds it arrives with a 'ding' opening the doors to the glass lift. The three of us walk into the lift that ran on the outside of the building, all looking out of the glass at Midgar in all it's glory. Everyone in this lift hated Shinra for one reason or another but no one could deny that the city was an impressive feat of engineering.

"Up please." A deep voice commands from behind us, instantly turning us all around.

"Turks... Must be a trap..." I mutter as I watch a bald man with sunglasses step into the lift followed by a man with long black hair, both unquestionably members of the turks by their finely tailored, matching suits.

"This must've been a real thrill for you... Did you enjoy it?" The dark haired man asked me with a smug tone.

After letting out a defeated grunt, the bald turk swipes his key card on the lift's control panel and selects the top floor, probably eager to show the president their catch. The lift climbs as Tifa glances at me, suggesting we fight but I shake my head discreetly. There was no way I could swing my sword in this tiny glass tube, and if I could it might end with us taking a tumble off the side of the building. The elevator stops and we are bound before being led outside to find Barret, much to my disappointment. He shakes his head in defeat, confirming my worst fears that our mission was all for nothing. Aeris was back in the hands of Shinra. With the bald Turk leading the way and his boss at the rear, we're lead past a reception desk towards two opposing staircases that both curve around and up, surely leading to president Shinra himself. We're led up the right, staircase that was covered in a royal purple velvet material until we arrived in a cold and modern room with a dual tone, gray and charcoal, marble floor that reflected the light from the mass of pillars the lined the outside of the room. On the far side of the room stood a large, metallic work station with a thin glass screen on the top that magnified the already enormous President Shinra's head.

"Where's Aeris!?" I roar at the ruler of Midgar as I'm lined up in front of his desk.

"In a safe place." He answers me before standing up and taking a long drag from his cigar as he walked around the desk. "She's the last surviving ancient... Didn't you know? The called themselves the Cetra and lived thousands of years ago. Now there just a forgotten page in history.

"Cetra... That girl is a survivor of the Cetra?" I hear Red's voice on my right.

"Cetra, or the ancients, will show us the way to the 'Promised land' I'm expecting a lot out of her.." The president says as he passes his unnecessarily large desk.

"The promised land? Isn't that just a legend?" Red asks, making me even more curious about what the animal knows about all of this.

"Even so, it's far too appealing to not pursue.." The red suited president says as he walks past me, breathing out his vile cigar smoke in his face as he passes. "It's been said the promised land is very fertile.. If the land is fertile..."

"Then there's gotta be mako!" Our leader shouts in anger to my left, pulling the president's attention off the beast and onto him.

"Exactly.. This is why our money making mako reactor is necessary. The abundant mako will flow out on it's own.." He smiles at Barret smugly. "That is where Neo-Midgar will be built.. Shinra's new glory..."

"Bastard! Quit dreamin'!" Barret spits deafening me with his bellowing voice.

"Oh really, don't you know? These days all it takes for your dreams to come true is money and power." The obnoxious president says smugly. "Well, that is all for our meeting.." He finishes, signaling to the bald turk to remove us from his presence.

"Come on! Outta his way!" The turk shouts as he motions to us to turn and leave.

I comply, seeing no reason to resist with the handcuffs on and am followed by Tifa and Red but not Barret, who's stubbornness gets the better of him and he hurls more abuse at president Shinra who I hear laughing as our self proclaimed leader is dragged away with the rest of us. We're escorted to the floor that Jenova's headless body was being stored and my eyes where once again drawn to the far corner of the room but I see nothing from this angle. My curiosity doesn't go unnoticed and I receive a brain shaking crack from the stock of a Shinra officer's rifle.

"Get moving!" He shouts as I stumble forward and follow a corridor to the right, leading to a row of cells on each side.

With a gun trained on my head, The turk removes my handcuffs and throws me into a cell, followed closely by Tifa before shutting the door. The nine foot by nine foot room was clearly meant to hold one person as it only had one, wafer thin, fold away bed on one wall and a toilet in the other. Perhaps they threw two people in the cells hoping they would fight over the bed and save them the effort of executing them themselves; a sinister thought I push out of my pounding head. Tifa looks at me with hopeless eyes; the light from the crimson orbs dulled with her capture unintentionally fills me with grief.

"You take the bed." I smile at her, in the hope that it boosts her spirit.

"You should take it. You got a nasty bump to the head." My brunette friend replies.

"Ex Soldier remember. It'll take more than that to bother me." I grin, only to be met with a sad look before she realizes I'm reading her face and she forces an uneasy smile as she takes the bed.

What feels like hours passes when I hear a voice I was not expecting, coming from the room besides me.

"Cloud, are you there?" I hear Aeris, much to my relief.

"Aeris! You're safe?!" I shout back, glad that she was close at least.

"Yeah, I'm alright. I knew that Cloud would come for me." Aeris says with a warmness in her tone that never seems to fade.

"Hey, I'm your bodyguard, right?" I joke, remembering our introduction that involved me smashing through a church roof.

"The deal was for one date, right?" She teases playfully.

"Oh, I get it.." Tifa's voice sounds from behind me with a distinct bitterness.

"Tifa! You're there too!?" Aeris shouts in surprise.

"Excuse me!" Tifa huffs, climbing out of the bed. "You know, Aeris. I have a question."

"What?" I hear her voice asks sheepishly.

"Does the promised land really exist?

Aeris goes on to tell us about the Cetra and their role in life and how they speak to the planet and eventually travel to the promised land, a place that promises supreme happiness. The hope in her voice never wavers as she tells us that one day she will escape Midgar and talk to the planet, despite her current situation. After her story that left me with more questions than answers, I sit with my back against the cold wall and fall asleep.

I'm woken from my uncomfortable sleep when a cold breeze bites away at my skin, carrying with it the stench of stale blood. My eyes widen and instantly fix themselves on Tifa who is laying motionless on the bed. Quickly jumping to my feet, I stand at the edge of the bed, looking down on her to make sure she's okay before a blue light catches my attention in the corner of my eye. The doors open... Walking cautiously to the door, I peer down the corridor to find the guard that gave me a crack with his rifle stock laying face down on the ground in his own pool of blood. Racing back to the cell, I wake Tifa and show her the downed guard, spotting a set of keys on the dead man's belt as we examine the savage level of damage inflicted on his body.

"Come on, Tifa, get Aeris. I'll go help Barret and Red." I say, handing the brunette a key before opening the cell on the other side to our own.

"How'd you get in? Why's the door open?!" Barret shouts as I burst through the door, neither of them waiting around for me to answer.

"No human could have done this.." Red says as he looks at the massive wounds on the guard. "I'll go on ahead.."

"I'll clean up back here, so you guys go ahead. And don't get caught by Shinra!" Barret warns as he begins to drag the body into one of the empty cells.

Tifa and Aeris step out of the cell and follow me down the corridor after Red who is following the disturbing tail of blood that's metallic smell filled the room. We pass the security room and reclaim our weapons and think about what had killed the guard so violently. Every possible scenario I had ran through my head when I saw the guard didn't even come close to what my mako eyes fell upon in the lower laboratory. The metal, dome like tank that housed the headless body of Jenova was cut open like a tin can, leaving nothing behind but a small puddle of the fluid it once sat in.

"Jenova specimen... Looks like it went to the upper floor using the specimen elevator." Red muttered my worst fear.

The service elevator takes us to the floor we met Hojo and it looks looks like a scene from a horror movie, I feel my boots stick to the bloodstained floor as the three of us walk up to Red, who's stood over another mutilated body.

"Looks like it leads up.." The ochre eyed beast says softly as we approach.

Passing Red as he waits for Barret, we follow the blood trail up the stairs to the 69th floor. Tifa and Aeris gasp at the huge, claw like marks in the metallic walls as the blood leads us to the purple carpeted stairs. Knowing whatever did this had nowhere else to go, my hand wraps around the handle of the buster sword and creep up the stairs. After a quick scan of the floor, our eyes are drawn to something any of us ever expected to see. President Shinra, dead at his desk.

"He's dead... The president of Shinra is dead..." Barret says behind me, almost disappointed that he didn't get to do it himself.

"Then this sword must be..." I hear Tifa mumble as she processes the scene.

"Sephiroth's!" I shout much louder than I intended, half out of anger and half from surprise.

"Sephiroth is alive?" My oldest friend asks, trying to pretend the evidence in front of her doesn't exist.

"Looks like it.." I nod to her. "Only Sephiroth can use that sword.." Pain hits me, this time in the chest as I look at the blood thirsty blade, making me wince until I look away and notice movement behind the nearest post but not before Aeris.

"Uh!" She squeeks, sending the fat man running away but Barret and I grab him by the arms as he instantly pleads for his life.

"P, p, p, p please don't kill me!" He stutters as I watch Barret take great pleasure in bringing his head so close to the man that he shudders.

"What happened?" I ask the man who's sick coloured suit is tearing as he struggles to get free from our grip.

"Se.. Sephiroth.. Sephiroth came.." He stuttered, sending a shiver down my spine as he said his name.

"Did you see him? Did you see Sephiroth?"

"Yeah, I saw him with my own eyes." The fat head of the space program nodded.

"You really saw him?" I ask again, reading his eyes for the truth.

"Uh! Would I lie at a time like this!? I heard his voice, too! Um.. He said something about not letting us have the promised land."

"Then does that mean the promised land really does exist and that Sephiroth's here to save it from Shinra?" Tifa asks, still stood near the Obnoxiously large desk.

"So he's the good guy then?" Barret asks.

"Save the promised land? A good guy? No way!" I shout angrily, taking everyone in the room by surprise. "It's not that simple! I know him! Sephiroth's mission is different!"

I can feel my blood boiling at the thought of the man I once called a friend, a man that took so much from me, who I believed until now was dead. Taking a deep breath I calm myself down but relax my hands, allowing the fat Shinra executive to wriggle free from my grasp and flee through a door on the left side of the room that lead to the roof. As we watch the man run outside, the high pitched whine of a helicopter roars as it descends from the sky to collect him.

"Rufus! Fuck! I forgot about him!" Barret curses.

"Who's that?" Tifa asks the question that's on everyone else' mind.

"Vice president Rufus... The president's son.."

Sprinting through the door with everyone else in toe, I miss Rufus' conversation with the badly dressed executive, who climbs in the chopper at the sight of us. The vice president runs his fingers though his strawberry blonde hair, arrogantly paying little attention to our advance.

"Just who are you?" He asks us.

We tell the man who we are, one b one but he merely shrugs in disinterest before pacing around us.

"Well I'm Rufus. The president of Shinra, inc." Rufus says with a wicked smile, as if he had waited his whole life to utter the words.

After the new president has finished droning on about his plans for Shinra I get the sense we need to get out of here before we're surrounded yet again by guards. That's if there's any left after Sephiroth had made his blood thirsty way through the building.

"Get Aeris outta the building." I turn to Barret and command, only to receive a baffled look.

"I'll explain later! Barret, this is a real crisis for the planet!" I plead, hoping the eco warrior will respond.

I hand him most of my materia and order him to get Aeris out of there to which they all comply, leaving me to deal with the younger, more aggressive Shinra president.

 **Aeris' POV**

I didn't want to leave Cloud on the rooftop with that man but I did as he instructed and ran after the trio in front of me, cursing myself for my fitness as I struggle to keep up. We all run down the staircase, past the abandoned reception desk when my concern for my heroic bodyguard takes over my legs and brings me to a stop.

"Cloud... I just thought of something." I say, stopping everyone in their tracks.

"I'll wait for Cloud! Everyone, get to the elevator!" Tifa commands, understanding my concern instantly.

I nod reluctantly, leaving her behind as the rest of us search for the lift on this floor, not wanting to attract any more attention to us than absolutely necessary. Eventually we find it tucked away past some waiting rooms and I press the button repeatedly and anxiously wait for the doors to open. The lift doors open and the three of us enter it, pressing the button for the first floor in excitement that I would finally be free of Shinra's grasp.

"Look out!" Barret shouts, pushing me to the ground as the glass walls of the lift shatter around us.

With no idea what just happened I shakily stand as my rescuers gun arm bursts into life, inches from my head, dazing me even more. Eventually I get my bearings and see a strange, tank like machine in the other lift, shooting across at us with surgical precision. Red sends a wave of fire at the machine, heating it's body until it glows red and igniting some of the bullets that it stores inside, turning them into tiny bombs that damage it further as Barret throws a glowing green orb my way which I just about catch.

"You know how to use materia right?!" He asks me to which I nod.

I grab the materia and push it into the tip of my staff and call upon it's power, feeling the static in the air before a bolt of lightning arcs from the materia over to the tank, causing it to go haywire, destroying itself with a series of small explosions.

"Yay! We did it!" I cheer prematurely as another machine flies in with three rotor blades like a helicopter and two big cannons.

"Great..." Red sighs as I watch him lick a graze from a stray bullet.

"Come get it!" Barret roars as he unleashes a huge blast from his arm gun, starting the second fight.

 **Cloud's POV**

"Why do you want to fight me?" Rufus asks me, shrugging.

"You want the promised land and Sephiroth." I point to him.

"That's right." He says walking towards me. "Do you know Sephiroth is an ancient?"

"Whatever. I can't let either you or Sephiroth have the promised land!" I shout, taking in his words. _Was he really an ancient?_

"I see. I guess we wont be allies..." Rufus says absentmindedly to try and catch me off guard before pulling out a shotgun from under his long white coat and firing.

I dodge the mass of pellets that smashes into the polished stone wall, turning it to dust that is quickly blown away by the wind. With the click of his fingers calls a genetically modified guard dog that leaps to his side from the helicopter. Sending shards of ice firing his way, I counter attack the new president, only to be bitten by the blue skinned hound. Pulling the buster sword's edge across the underbelly of the guard dog, I cut it in half and prize it's still clamped jaw off my arm as another hail of bullets is sent my way. He laughs with a smug confidence but it's soon silenced when I thrust my blade at him, cutting into his side and causing him to recoil in pain.

"Heh... That's all for today.." He coughs and begins to run away, firing blindly behind him so I can't follow before finally jumping up and catching the landing gear of the helicopter that ascends out of my reach.

Annoyed with myself that I couldn't finish him I run back inside, passing his dead father and sprint down the stairs, taking four steps at a time. Heading for the door I see Tifa waiting for me like I half expected she would.

"Where's Rufus?" She asks, actually asking if I'd killed him or not.

"I couldn't finish 'em. This is gonna get complicated.." I sigh. "Lets go."

The pair of us pass the stairs and head to the lift. When it finally arrives I let Tifa walk inside and she looks at me puzzled when I don't follow.

"What's wrong?" She asks with concern.

"Nothing, I'm gonna get us all outta here but you need to trust me. There will be an army heading to this building when news of the president's death spreads. I need you to get everyone away from the front entrance and to the back of the ground floor." I reply, forming a plan in my head.

Tifa opens her mouth to speak but closes it again, knowing every second we waste increases the chance of us being caught. Instead she simply nods and presses the button to go to the first floor, closing the door and blocking her from my view. Back on my own once more I retrace my steps back to the stairs and leap down them one flight at a time until I hit the 67th and pause. The image of the woman trapped in the tank flashes through my mind as I weigh up what I'm about to do next.

 _Damn it.._ I sigh to myself as my conscious gets the better of me and I dash into the room Jenova had been removed from, heading straight for the tank hidden away at the back of the room. There she was, suspended in mako with one hand pressed against the glass as her strange, pale pink hair rippled in the fluid. She was no different to Aeris.. A woman held hostage by Hojo and experimented on against her will. Knowing she was almost certainly brain damaged from the mako I clench my fist and break the glass anyway with a single punch, pouring the burning liquid onto me as I catch her limp body.

Her faint breath on my shoulder is a welcome sign as I rush down the stairs to the next floor and take the lift to the first floor where a black bike is sat on a display in the center of the room. Smiling at my idea, I sit the young woman on the bike first before climbing on myself and wrapping her arms around me tightly. With the clutch pulled in the bike fires up without question and I ride it down the stairs to the ground floor where the rest of the group turn to look at the noise.

"Who's that?" Tifa and Aeris ask in unison as they see the locks of dripping pink hair behind me.

"I'll explain later! Get in the truck!" I shout as I hear gunfire coming from the main entrance.

They both look annoyed at my passenger but do as their told and climb in the mint green truck with Tifa being the driver. I watch Barret climb in the back just as Tifa set's off making the amber furred beast have to do a running jump to get in the back. Once everyone is in the truck, I head back up the opposite set of stairs and stop at the top as the sensible part of my mind asks me if what I'm about to do is a good idea. Not convinced it is, my left hand grips my pink haired passenger's arm and my right rips the throttle back, propelling me towards the window at great speed, smashing through it with ease.

I brace for impact as the bike falls from the sky, landing on one of the many highways that run from the city with a bone shaking crunch. The suspension took a lot of the shock out of the fall, thankfully, and I turn to find that Tifa was indeed as mad as I was when I see the truck right behind me with Barret swearing his head off in the bed of the pickup. I slow to let Tifa pull in front as they all throw daggers at the woman I'm holding onto as I ride but their uneasy glances soon turn from me to a rumble behind.

"Great.." I mumble to myself, seeing a fleet of motorcycles racing up behind us, knowing it was all going to smoothly. Barret opens fire, spraying Red with the ejected cartridges and nearly shooting me in the chest. "Just go! I'll sort it!" I roar over the engines.

The bikes catch up to us quickly and begin to fire at us as others tried to get close enough to hit us with their swords. A bullet bounces off my metallic shoulder pauldron and I flinch as the projectile buzzes past my ear. _Enough is enough.._ Waving Tifa off, I pull my sword off my back with my other hand still clinging to the stranger and use my hips to throw the bike where I want it.

I stamp on the rear brake as a Shinra troop on my right swerves, missing me completely and smashing into the wall with so much force the bike explodes like a bomb and sprays jagged shards of metal in every direction. The shrapnel takes out another armed biker but two still remain in hot pursuit The pair of Shinra soldiers take a side each and wedge me between their bikes as I try to bat away both of their broadswords with my own. I manage to block several swings but the tip of the soldier on my right's blade cuts into the hand that is clinging to the woman and I release my grip in pain. Remembering my Ice materia I freeze the front end of the left hand bike, locking its front wheel up and somersaulting it into the ground on top of its rider. Now with room to move I swerve left and then right as I drag my sword across the soldier's body, cutting him across the ribcage and causing him to crash off the highway.

After returning the buster sword to my back I pull the still limp stranger back up onto the bike properly and hold onto her cold hand. I sigh with relief, only to look up and find the truck stopped at the end of the unfinished highway and I squeeze the brakes tightly and come to a screeching stop, feet from the perilous edge.

"Well, what do we do now?" Barret asks as I switch off the engine, not expecting that to be his first question.

"Sephiroth is alive... I have to settle the score.." I answer him with vengeance on my mind.

"Will that save the planet?" He asks.

"It seems so.." I say as I climb off the bike and scoop the woman that was still dripping in mako.

"Then I'm going!"

"I'll go, too. There's still things I need to know." I hear Aeris' warm voice chirp up from behind me. "Aren't you gonna introduce us to your friend?" She adds, playfully leaning over and looking at me out of the corner of her eye as she tries to hide a smile.

"Honestly... I have no idea who she is.. I just kept feeling... Strange.. It doesn't matter.. Just like you and Red, she was trapped in there. Nobody deserves that.." I answer, not really wanting to explain something I didn't understand myself.

"She's covered in mako. She's probably past saving.. And if you carry her for much longer it will burn your skin." Tifa says as she nears me. While she's right I sense a bitterness behind her logic.

"Weather she lives or dies, he made the effort to save her.. It's more than what most would have done.." Red says, making this discussion feel more like a conversation than a scalding.

"Right then. Spiky can do what he wants but I ain't carryin' her. We can use this crane to get outta Midgar. Let's jus' save the chattin' for later." Barret says as he wraps himself around the thick steel cable and repels down. I watch everyone else slide down with ease and throw the pinkette over my shoulder and do the same, finding it just as difficult as I had imagined it would be.

"We told Aeris' mom to go somewhere safe, so Marlene should be safe too." Barret says as if asking a question.

"Yeah, she should be." I smile, filling the man with much needed hope that he would one day be reunited with her. "Let's go."

"We need a leader for this journey. 'Course that could only be me" The Avalanche leader says as he flexes his impressive muscles, only to be shot down by Aeris and Tifa, who nominate me, much to my surprise. "...Alright. Then lets head north east to Kalm."

I nod in agreement and we all set off north east into the wastelands that surround Midgar on what is turning out to be far more than the simple mission I signed up for. My arms and chest burn as the mako eats away at my skin but the thought of leaving her never crosses my mind once. I look down on the porcelain skinned woman and hope she recovers.

 **A/N: Woooo reviews =D Hey everyone, quite a long chapter here. I'm glad you like the first person. I like writing it because im literally just writing whats in my head but when I read it it didn't sound right to me but if you say it's ok then I'll continue on like this. I've added the POV's in this chapter although it wont really be needed to much until maybe the end of the next chapter. Also added the CloudxLight tags as recommended. Anyway... Couple of things... You man have noticed the 'boss' after the bike wasn't in my story. Only because that part of the game always annoyed me, all it needed to do was keep moving and it would either have flattened the party or drove them off the edge. So sorry for deviating but it had to go lol. I'll try and keep the speech close to actual game dialog but when light bothers her ass to wake up it will obviously need to be changed to incorporate her. Big question that's I need an answer for. My most hated past of the game is coming up.. The Kalm flashback.. It's great if you've played the game once or twice but after 100+ playthroughs its a chore. Do you want it in the story** **word for word** **or a "Then I told them about my connection with sephiroth" kinda thing? Let me know what you think, and as always, thanks for reading.**


	3. The Rebirth of a Warrior

**Clouds POV**

If there was any doubt in my mind about Shinra's reactors killing the planet, it had vanished with every step I walked. For every mile we walked the wasteland turned more fertile and patches of grass began to form. My eyes keep wandering down to the stranger I'm carrying who's bright blue eyes are wide, but dead to the world and are only pulled away when Aeris walks next to me.

"How ya doing?" She asks in a cheery tone. "She getting heavy?"

"I'm okay, she's quite light." I smile and wait for what she really came to ask.

"So.. You know her?" Aeris asks, coming straight out with it.

"No, I've never seen her before.." I answer, feeling the rest of the party listening intently.

"She's a Soldier?" She continues to question.

"None that I recognize. The uniform is strange and there is no female Soldier operatives that I know about."

"Really!? Sexist pigs!" Aeris shouts, lightning my mood slightly. "I wonder where she gets her hair dye from.."

"You women are all the same!" Barret huffs.

We continue for miles. The day turns to night and then the sun slowly rises again over the horizon, bathing a small town in the distance in amber light. All of us near collapse, we push on slowly, and I fight my arms into holding onto the woman for just a bit further. Her damp mako clothes burns my skin and Red see's I'm struggling.

"Would you like to put her on my back?" The beast asks.

"I'm okay.. We're nearly there now. No point in us both getting burned." I smile.

"Very well.. For what it's worth, I think you did a good thing taking her.. And I've never seen a human capable of dealing with mako exposure as well as you." Red praises.

"Former Soldier... We were showered in the stuff." I reply.

"Serah..."

"Did she just?-" Barret begins.

"It's common for people with mako poisoning to mumble.. They can spend days or years in this state.. Like a coma, they can one day wake up if their mind is strong enough." Red says to me, dashing any of my initial thoughts about a speedy recovery. _Why do I even care if she does?... I don't know her..._

We reach the town after a day of walking and the sight of an inn is almost bringing a tear of joy to our eyes. We pile in the large building and line up at the counter as Barret mashes the brass bell for attention with his heavy fist.

"Room for six please." Barret Says as soon as the inn keeper steps through the door behind the counter.

"Certainly sir. That's 300 gil."

Barret pays the man and bolts upstairs, not waiting for any of us and we all follow, eager to find a bed. I bend the pinkette slightly, resting her head on my chest as I walk up the narrow staircase that leads us to our room. My eyesight passes the last stair and I see a line of beds against the back wall to my right. Barret has already got comfortable on the bed nearest the fire that Red has positioned himself in front of, lighting it with his tail before closing his ochre eye. Tifa and Aeris whisper their goodnights to each other, not wanting to be shouted up by Barret, and then to myself who returns the gesture as I place Hojo's experiment on an empty bed near the stairs. Her clothes remain damp and the thought occurs to me to remove them but I don't out of my own embarrassment and instead take a towel from the large, mahogany chest of drawers in the corner and pat her down with it, drying her off as best as I could whilst still keeping her modesty. I walk over to my bed next to the fire on the opposite wall to Barret, enjoying the gentle heat from the flames before returning back to the stranger's bedside, scooping her back up into my arms and placing her on my bed near the fire. _The heat will dry you quicker..._

"Stone cold Soldier my ass..." I hear Barret mumble but I ignore him and return to the empty bed and close my eyes.

The morning sun bursts through the window waking me up far before my body was ready. Everyone was still asleep; all accustomed to Barret's heavy snoring by now as I sit up in bed and look around the room. I let out a small laugh as my eyes scan the room, grinning at the strange ways our small group sleeps. Barret lays on his back with his arms dangling off the bed, grumbling like a grizzly bear and the bed next to him holds Aeris, who has a that warm smile across her face even in slumber. Tifa however, was scrunched up in a tight ball gripping her pillow with a vice grip. The pain on her face was uncomfortable to watch but I didn't want to rouse her from her much needed sleep. My eyes look away and onto the enigma that is Red but are pulled away at the sound of struggled breathing. The pinkette on the bed, who's eyes have never shut since we've been here wheezed through her dried lips, to weak to cough. There is a sink in the corner of the room and I head to it, taking the glass tumbler form the shelf above it and filling it with water.

As I sit on the bed next to the stranger, I feel strange. Caring has never been a word I'd use to describe myself, but here I was, cradling the head of a woman who I'd never met; a woman who is more than likely going to die, as I carefully pour drops of water onto her lips. Her wheezing stops just before the water has ran out and I place her back down on the bed, checking if her clothes felt dry as I do. Turning to head back to my bed, I flinch as something warm, grips my hand. The woman's hand grips my own and she looks at me with a far more alert expression with a tear running down her cheek, before her eyelids drop and her grasp vanishes as the pinkette slips back into unconsciousness.

Several hour passed before the rest of the group woke all with a fresh eagerness after a good nights sleep.

"So, what's the plan?" Barret asks as he stretches.

"I'm going after Sephiroth.. There's things I need to know... And I have to settle the score.." I answer, thinking for a moment about just what I'll say if and when I meet him again.

"So let's here your story."

Sadly for me, the rest of the group agrees and I'm forced into telling a story from my past that I don't fully understand myself. They look surprised to hear me and Sephiroth where once close and everyone but Tifa gasps when I tell them about him burning our home town down to the ground, my mothers death, Tifa's life threatening injury at the hands of Sephiroth and finally the bit I can never recall. My showdown with Sephiroth that ends with me alive and him dead.

"So you killed him?" Barret asks me.

"In terms of sheer skill I could never have beaten him.. But I'm here, alive and well.." I reply, wishing nothing more than to know the answer.

"So.. Shall we go?" I hear Aeris' soft voice break the short silence.

"I can't ask you to come with me.. You've been in enough since you met me.."

"Good think I wasn't asking." She winks at me with a smile. "There's still a lot I want to know about too.."

"Alright! Let's get outta here!" Barret shouts.

"Not so fast.. You still owe me 3000 gil." I say with an outstretched hand.

"For real!? Stupid mercenary son of a..." He begins to mumble as he tosses a large stack of money towards me under protest and I add it to the 1500 he gave me from the first mission.

"Listen up! We're heading out in half an hour. Get what you need from town then meet at it's edge." I order and everyone but Tifa leaves the inn.

"What about her?" My oldest friend asks me, looking over to the pinkette.

"She stay's here.." I answer bluntly, noting a faint smile on Tifa's lips as I speak.

Satisfied with my answer, Tifa joins the others who are strolling around town, enjoying a view that isn't Midgar as I remove 500 gil from the pile and shove the rest in the pocket of her white, sleeveless jacket. I head downstairs to find the inn keeper, who is sat behind the counter reading a paper but folds it away as he see's me.

"My friend upstairs is sick.. She has mako poisoning but I think she'll recover.. Will 500 gil be enough for her to stay until she get's better?" I ask, positive that I'm about to get laughed out of the inn.

"Poor thing, I'll keep an eye on her.. She can stay for the month but after that it get's busy and I can't spare the room." He answers with a far better offer than I was expecting.

"That's great, thank you." I nod, handing over the 500 gil to the man. "Oh.. do you have a pen and paper?

I head back upstairs with the pen and paper, and with the last five minutes of my time in kalm I begin to write a note.

 _I wrote this letter in the hope that you'd wake up one day and be able to get on with your life. I don't pretend to know you; hell I don't even know your name.. But I want you to take the 4000 gil and use it to live your life. To get away from the Shinra.. If you're reading this then I may have already faced my demon and I hope that one day, you can too._

 _Cloud_

I fold the letter up and place it in her hand, folding her fingers around it before taking one last look at the sleeping beauty. My eyes take a final look at the woman before I set off down the stairs to begin a journey that would change my life.

 **Lightning's POV**

"Serah..." I manage to mumble. A name I don't understand but know it's important to me. Perhaps it's mine...

It's strange.. I see, I hear, but my body refuses even my most basic command. My eyes, to which I seem to have some control over remain fixated on the face of the blonde man who has been carrying me for what felt like days. The steady rhythm of his heart matched his quick pace as he marched onward. He looks down on me occasionally and I get a better look at his face. He is familiar to me but I don't know why and when the shadow of a ceiling blocks my view of the sky, I become nervous again. The sound of his heavy boots on wooden steps echoes against the narrow walls until we reach a room and he places me on a bed, causing my heart to pound. _What's he going to do to me?!_

The thoughts running through my head vanish when he disappears, only to return again with a towel which he uses to pat me down, trying off the sweet smelling liquid that stings my skin. Soon enough, the towel is saturated in the green liquid and I'm more comfortable than I had been for as long as I can remember. _Why can't I remember..._ The man leaves my view briefly, only to return and scoop me up in his arms. I don't like being moved about but the sound of his heartbeat is the only comforting thing about my situation. Within seconds however, I was back down, this time on a much drier bed that has a pleasant heat coming from one side.

"Stone cold Soldier my ass.." I hear a deep voice mumble, sending the blonde pacing away.

Other than the sound of snoring, the lightless few hours remain mostly silent so I spend it determined to regain control of my body. After hours of struggling I'm exhausted and all I managed to achieve was to twitch my fingers. My breathing becomes difficult and my throat is dry. The last time I had a drink was anybodies guess but no sooner had the thought crossed my mind, the sound of boots on the floor catches my attention. I listen carefully, still anxious because of my lack of mobility, but the sight of the blonde haired man eases my nerves. He sits on the bed he placed me on the night before and gently pulls my head onto his lap, cradling it with a single hand that sinks into my scalp, massaging it softly. The cold feeling of a glass touches my lips and drops of much needed water pour into my mouth, relieving my thirst in an instant. I slowly drink every last drop as I stare into the strangers eyes. Orbs of the brightest blue that seemed to glow; terrifying and beautiful at the same time. The man places me back on the bed and stands, touching my clothes before turning away. With all my will I beg my body to move and it responds, gripping the man's hand as a tear leaves my eye that is filled with a mixture of thanks and relief. He turns to face me, most likely in shock and looks at me with those piercing eyes, but my own fail me and the exhaustion of my efforts send me back into unconsciousness.

It's a bit lighter when I come too again and I leave my eyes closed at the sound of movement all around. I hear multiple voiced wishing each other a good morning before a question is asked that brings about a harrowing story of things I didn't think possible. A man so powerful he came back from the dead. A man who has killed countless men and destroyed entire towns on his own. When I hear the mysterious blonde mention he was once a friend, I wonder about his own strength. If he could rival a person that sounded more like a god than a man. I pay close attention to every terrifying word before I hear him tell the others that he was setting off to stop the man the called Sephiroth to which they all decide to accompany him without question.

The mood in the room quickly changes however when the voice of the man who has taken care of me asks what I assume is his friend for the 3000 gil he owed him to which a grumpy voice cursed but the sound of rustling notes tell me he's been given the money. _3000 gil.. I wonder just what he had to do to get that.. oh my god!.. am I being sold!?_ My terrifying thoughts are cut short when I hear them all walk down the stairs one by one. Although desperate to open my eyes I still feel like there's someone in the room. A feeling that turned out to be correct when a woman's voice speaks.

"What about her?" She asks.

"She stays here.." I hear my rescuer answer her, sending me into a new level of uncertainty.

I hear more footsteps leaving my bed before a hand unbuttons my pocket and shoves something thick inside. I want to open my eyes but every survival instinct is fighting my urge to peep, accepting 'play dead' as the best approach to the situation. Heavy boots stomp away from me and down the stairs before I take a risk and peer out of my left eye before opening both and using what little movement my body would allow to look around. The room was empty and old fashioned; really old fashioned. I strain my neck as much as it will allow and look down at the bulge in my pocket, but it's fastened shut and despite my vast improvement from yesterday, my fingers don't possess the dexterity to open it. A noise on the stairs on the other end of the room sends me back to playing dead and once again I feel his presence by my bed. He takes my hand and places a piece of paper inside of it before leaving once more. Several silence filled minutes pass before I'm brave enough to open my eyes to find myself all alone in the big room. I need to get the muscles in my body working but at the moment they barely twitch.

 **The next day**

After what felt like a lifetime, I'm sat up in the bed with my leg's dangling over the side as I wiggle them to get them working again. I catch my breath and rest my chin on my chest as I exhale, noticing the piece of paper in my hand as I do. Unfolding it carefully, I read it in my head twice to make sense of it.

 _I wrote this letter in the hope that you'd wake up one day and be able to get on with your life. I don't pretend to know you; hell I don't even know your name.. But I want you to take the 4000 gil and use it to live your life. To get away from the Shinra.. If you're reading this then I may have already faced my demon and I hope that one day, you can too._

 _Cloud_

"Money?.. Oh." I mumble to myself as my hand pats my pocket and unbuttons it, pulling out a substantial pile of foreign looking money. My fingers fondle the wad of cash as I read the letter over and over again. I have no idea who the Shinra really where but I do know one thing. The name of the man who's looked after me. "Cloud... Strange name.."

I've been left in an unknown location with no memory of whats happened to me or who I am. All I know is I'm not sitting on this bed until the end of days. My first goal is to find Cloud. Maybe he can give me some answers and maybe I can pay him back for keeping me safe. With new found determination, I slide off the bed with unsteady legs that shake like jelly under my weight. Pacing around the bed with my arms ready to catch the edge, I slowly get the feeling back into my legs and within an hour I'm walking up and down the room with confidence.

With new found mobility, my legs take me to the bedroom window and I take the first look at my current location. It looks old fashioned and run down but at the same time peaceful. I can't remember my own home but I know that this isn't it. There are people below, gathering around the market stalls that line the outside of the large stone buildings. Around the town was a castle like wall that blocked my view of the horizon but not the black clouds that swarmed above. Then it came.. A flash of light and the loud rumble that followed, triggering my memory.

"Lightning... My name is lightning..." I smile, relieved my memory wasn't lost forever.

I fold the letter from my rescuer up carefully and with nothing but my name and a pocket full of money, I head down the stairs, relieved when my boots reach the bottom without falling, and leave the building unnoticed.

When I step outside, my eyes take a moment to adjust to the light. Even thought it looked like it was going to rain at any moment, the sun burst through the dark grey clouds, dazzling me for a few seconds. The prediction of impending rain came true after just minutes of me stepping out into the open. I watch everyone rush inside; some of them giving me a strange glance as they did, but I remained stationary. The feel of the cool liquid was a welcome one and a much needed contrast to the burning ooze that soaked my skin for as long as I remember. Across the town are stone steps that lead to a row of shops, all with their lights on.

"I guess I should get supplies..." I mumble, Knowing I'd never find Cloud with nothing but money.

The first shop has exactly what I need. A collapsible tent. I take the small backpack that contained the tent to the counter to pay but the old man is to busy staring at me to notice that I'm a customer.

"You kids dye your hair some funny colours.. Aren't you a little old to play dress up?" He asks me, making my angry.

"..."

"Sorry, none of my business." The old man corrects himself, sensing my annoyance. "That'll be 500 gil please... Oh here... Have a free potion sample."

I pay the man; glad they had numbers on the foreign notes, and throw the tent over my shoulder, pocketing the vial of blue liquid as I do. The rain soaks my hair once again as I walk outside but not for long. The shop next door is much larger than the one I just left and split in two. On the left was a weapon shop and the other sold a vast array of colourful crystals. MY fingers trace over the guns and spears that line the walls until they stop on the handle of a blue bladed sword. I'm not sure why I'm drawn to it but I pull it of the wall, examining it's beauty and detail.

"That's not a toy miss." The concerned shop owner says in warning.

"I'm well aware.." I fire back, unamused. "How much?"

"1000 gil, miss." He answers.

Perhaps it was foolish but I don't even try to barter with the man. I pull out my cash and count out 1000 gil in 20 gil notes and hand it to the man, earming the attention of the crystal seller, who eyes my money with an eager look.

"Could I tempt you in some materia, miss?" He asks me in a sickeningly polite manner.

"What's materia?" I ask, earning myself an amazed look off both the shop keepers.

"What do they teach kids these days?" The crystal seller jokes to the weapon seller. "You're in for a treat my dear. Let me show you.." He says, rummaging behind the counter before popping his head back up. "It appears the last group had brought all of the rare stuff. Won't be a minute." The crystal seller says as he disappears into a store room behind the counter.

I think about leaving at first, thinking it was some weird voodoo nonsense but the man comes out with two green crystal spheres that glow, catching my interest.

"Watch.." The man says, gripping on of the orbs tightly as it's brightness grows, sending beams of light bursting through his fingertips before tiny bolts of lightning start to arc off his fingers, building in size until I feel my hair become static, even standing ten feet away. "This is lightning materia. You can use it with weapons and armour to use magic against any monsters that you may encounter. And this one.. This is restore materia. Used to heal wounds.."

"May I?" I ask, still skeptical that this may just be a trick but the man hands over the orb and I roll it in my palm, instantly feeling it's power. The man begins to explain how to use it but is silenced when bolts of lightning buzz around my body and I get another flashback. _Magic, L'cie.._ No sooner did my mind remember something else was I pulling the wad of quickly diminishing money out of my pocket.

"How much?" I ask, praying that I had enough.

"Usually I sell the lightning materia for 600gil and the restore for 750.. but these were just born from my own mastered materia so I'll sell you them both for 1000 gil." The man offers.

I don't even hesitate and count out 1000 gii and hand it to the man in exchange for the two magical crystals. I say it over and over in my head and it just sounds more and more ridiculous each time.. _Glowing balls that give you powers of the L'cie... OH! I remember!_

With my memory slowly returning to me, I race out of the shop and head towards the edge of town before stopping. _Which way did Cloud go?_ I wonder. _The inn keeper..._

I jog to the inn the blonde brought me to and walk through the front door, nearly giving the man behind the desk a heart attack as his mind tried to work out how I was stood in front of him.

"You had... He said... You where upstairs... Wa?"

"Listen.. The man who brought me here.. Which way did he go?" I ask, ignoring his babbling.

"Erm...south east I think.. over the plains towards the marsh.. It's a massive walk.. one or two days even.." The man answers.

"Thanks.." I nod, leaving the inn and then the town. "I really hope finding him is a good idea.."

 **A/N: another chapter done. Not much to say really other than to let people know whats going on with my other stories. This is far easier to write than the others (This took my about an hour or 2) And I'm getting married in 2 months so I'm getting dragged around wedding shopping by my other half (Oh the joys) every second of down time I get so The great mako war is on hold for a couple of months. I'll continue with this one as it takes a fraction of the time. Sorry for the bad news. Hope you understand.**

 **Wolf.**


	4. The Chocobo Thief

**Cloud's POV**

The hike to the chocobo farm we ended up at was much further than the one going to Kalm, but this time we were prepared. It stood in the middle of the most fertile land I had ever seen. As far as the eye could see was grassy planes and tree's that sounded with life as we walked through it all. White picket fences surrounded a large ranch that was filled with Chocobos. Aeris and Tifa dart off in front to inspect the magnificent birds as me, Barret and Red maintain our casual pace.

"Sooo cute!" Aeris squeaks like an excited child.

"We're here for directions, remember." Barret shouts to the pair.

"Spoil sport!" The flower girl pouted as she leans over the paddock fence

We finally catch up to the two girls and we all head to the house to the left of the paddock. The ranch owner must have seen us coming because he's out of the front door before we get to it with a pitchfork in in his hand.

"Like I told you Shinra schmucks last time! I ain't selling you a single acre!" The bearded man shouts angrily.

"We're not with Shinra." I say, holding my hands up to show I mean him no harm. "In fact we're against them. We just came to ask for directions."

"You look like on of them Soldier freaks to me.." He says, glaring at me.

"I used to be... We have escaped from the headquarters and we're chasing Sep... I mean Shinra across the globe to stop them." I reply.

"Hmm.. Okay.. Well they're almost definitely heading to Junon which is over that mountain range over there." He points, easing his grip on his improvised weapon as he relaxes.

"Great, thanks." Tifa nods as we all turn to the mountain.

"Wait! You have to cross the marsh to get to the mountain and the Zolom will get you!" The ranch owner protests.

"Zolom?" Barret asks.

"The Midgar Zolom.. A huge serpent that swallows men whole.. The only way across is a Chocobo."

"Lemmi guess.. You're gonna sell us one..." Barret asks, sharing my skepticism.

"Nope, all those are a client's.. You'll have to catch one. My son, Billy is in the stables over there. Go speak to him and he'll help you out."

He points over to a large wooden building stands next to a huge grain silo and a well. We nod politely and make our way over to the large, open doors that reveal two rows of stables; all of which are empty. We catch a young man's attention as we enter the barn and he quickly returns a saddle to the nearest shelf and walks over to us, clinking his spurs with each step.

"Do you want a Chocobo?" The young man asks.

"Give me one." I say, getting straight to the point.

"You old folks are outta luck!"

"Old folks?" I mumble to myself. _I'm 21..._

"We're all out of chocobos. I'm taking care of the ones out there for someone else." Billy replies. "You know.. If you really want a chocobo you should go out and catch one yourselves. Want to know how?"

The young rancher explains in great detail the process involved in catching the great, people carrying birds but my heart sinks when he tells me the price of what we need. _I gave the money to that girl..._ Everyone is looking at me for a solution and I have none, so I decline the man's offer and leave the barn.

"Yo, spiky! You should have more than enough, seeing as I pay you too much!" Barret shouts.

"He just wants our money.. Who's ever heard of a giant man eating snake before?" I ask, to embarrassed to say why I really didn't buy the materia and greens.

"Whatever man.. We goin' or what?"

We set off over the planes until we reach the edge of the marshland that looks intent on swallowing us up. I'm genuinely worried about the Zolom creature that the rancher told us about but I wasn't going to give the rest of the group; Barret in particularly, the satisfaction of seeing my hesitation. I lead the way through the boggy swamp that is covered with an eery fog that makes navigating it even more dangerous. It took us an age just to get half way through and the mountain in front of us never seemed to get nearer.

"My dress is soaking.." Aeris moans, unintentionally filling me with grief but quickly realizing it. "Oh well.. It'll dry once we're on the other side." She added, cheerily, more for my sake.

"At least there's no killer snake in here.." Tifa says, doing well to keep up with me. "I knew it was just a folks tale."

"It's no folks tail, miss.. It's here.." Red say's causing us all to freeze on the spot and Aeris to yelp.

"Red, If this is some sort of joke, I'mma shoot your furry ass." Barret threatened out the corner of his mouth, still frozen still.

"It's no danger.. not anymore at least.. Look.." Red nods towards the base of the mountains that are shrouded in a thick mist.

We all scan the area, finding nothing at first, but soon the fog thins slightly and I see something my brain takes too long to process. A snake, longer than a train is skewered through it's skull on what's left of a tree trunk.

"Holy shit..." Barret mumbles, taking in the gruesome view.

I start to run, quickly realizing I didn't sink the faster I went. _Why didn't I think of this before?..._ The first feeling of solid ground beneath my feet was a welcome one as I continued to make my way to the Zolom. It's so much bigger now that I was stood next to it than I first thought and it lead my to question what I'm doing. _If Sephiroth did that single handed then how could I ever beat him_. The sound of heavy breathing behind me snapped me out of my insecurities and we all took a moment to rest and look upon the work of Sephiroth.

"Almost feel sorry for the poor thing.. It went in search of prey and ended up becoming it.." Aeris said, scrunching up her nose at the foul stench.

I could see the entrance to the passageway through the mountains in the distance and the smell of stagnant blood that ran down the trunk of the tree was beginning to make us all feel sick, so we set off again, into the cave.

 **Lightning's POV**

I started off my journey with a walk, but with every step I feel my body finally recovering from its time of stillness and I break into a run. I'm almost enjoying my run through the grassy fields, rolling the strange crystals in my hands as I do. Then it hit's me. A smell I recognize that is carried to me by a northern breeze. _The ocean?_ Instantly forgetting everything, I changed my direction to head north and follow the wonderful smell of the shore that only takes me half an hour to get to.

At first, I wasn't sure why my subconscious was begging me to go to the coast; a survival instinct perhaps? But as soon as my boots grace the warm, dry sand I close my eyes and it hit's me. Visions of fireworks and music fill my mind as a warm feeling flows over me.

 _You look dreamy, Farron.. Call yourself a Soldier... You're taking tomorrow off?... Twenty one huh?... Officer training... Think of your sister..._

"Serah... Serah!" I shout as more memories come flooding back. _I have a sister.._

I walk back inland, away from the barren shores as my mind races with more information. I lived by the sea.. I'm a soldier... I have a sister. The thought of being a soldier seems foreign to me but is I continue my walk, I remember the story Cloud told his friends and wonder if I was once a soldier like him. Maybe me and him were in the same regiment. Yet again, I'm snapped out of my thought; this time with the warble of familiar creatures.

"Chocobos?" I wonder as my eyes gaze upon a small group of white buildings with faded red roofs in the distance.

With caution, my feet take me in between the house and the barn and I peer around it's wall. Happy that the coast is clear, I step out from cover to be met with the sight of chocobos basking in the sun, inside a small pen. Letting my guard down I walk over to the whitewashed fence as the nearest chocobo walks over to greet me. I hold my hand out to meet the magnificent creature's face and stroke it's soft neck as it clucks happily, enjoying the attention. The giant bird rubs it's beak into my palm before opening it and dropping something warm onto it.

"Friendly little guy, ain't he?" A man's voice speaks behind me, causing me to spin around on the spot and keep the item I haven't actually seen yet tight in my grip.

"Sorry, I was just looking-" I begin to explain my presence.

"Not to worry miss, your not the first stranger to get drawn in by the sight of Chocobos.. Heck a group of people where here a couple of hours ago."

"Was one of them a guy with blonde, spiky hair?" I ask, hoping it was them.

"Yeah, the guy with the great big sword and the Soldier eyes. Came here looking for a way to cross the marsh without the Zolom getting them."

"Zolom?"

"You as well? The Zolom is a huge snake that lives in the marsh. Only way of crossing is with a Chocobo." The man explains.

"Can I rent one of yours?" I ask, eager to catch up to the mysterious blonde.

"Like I told your friends, these are a client's so I can't rent them. My son is in the barn over there.. I'm sure he can help you capture one, miss."

I give the man a faint smile and head to the barn to find his son cleaning out one of the stables. Leaning against the large door frame, I stand and wait for him to notice me and eventually he does. We talk for a while as I explain my predicament to which he tells me about everything I need to catch a chocobo. After half an hour I'm 1000 gil lighter but I have a new purple coloured materia crystal, as well as the strange red one the chocobo spat out and a hand full of vegetables called greens.

Leaving the ranch behind me, I set off across the grassy planes in search of a chocobo, hoping I hadn't just been conned into buying a piece of glass that supposedly attracted chocobos. The minutes pass and so do the miles and I'm beginning to feel really stupid and am debating if I should go back and cut the farm boys head off, but the sight of a feathery head sticking up over the long grass brings me hope. Carefully, I stalk it like it's my prey, getting as close as I can without spooking it. It notices me when I'm about twenty feet away and watches me with a cautious eye. Maintaining eye contact, I take one of the greens and toss it on the ground, half way between us both and the blonde bird trots towards it and begins to eat. Seizing my chance, I walk slowly towards my feathered ride but I don't manage three steps before the bird bolts, disappearing in seconds.

"Damn..." I curse myself.

I encounter another three in the next hour but each time, the timid creature makes a break for it with the food. After another fifteen minutes and another failure, my patience had snapped and I find myself stomping back towards the chocobo farm with a wicked plan. I'm soon back at the ranch and I march right over to the paddock full of chocobos. I slide open the bolt on the gate and I hold out my last green, attracting the attention of the nearest bird.

"Don't suppose yo u wanna give me a lift?" I ask jokingly as I feed the animal, but to my surprise it lowers it's body to allow me to climb on. Not needing to be told twice I climbed on the mighty bird and it stood up again and set off out of the paddock, just as the ranch owner ran from his house.

"Hey! Come back with that chocobo!" I hear him shout, but I keep going, never looking back once as the Chocobo picks up speed.

I feel bad for taking the poor guy's chocobo, but nothing and no one will stop me from finding out answers to the many questions I had about myself. Somehow, my feathered transport seemed to know exactly where I wanted to go, and in now time at all we were crossing the marsh at blistering speed. Yet again, I'm to busy daydreaming about my slowly returning memories to notice what spooked my ride. The blonde bird bucks and before I can react I'm laying face down in the mud.

"Oww.." I cough, spitting out a mouthful of swamp water as I climb to my feet.

I jump back in shock when I see it and draw my sword before I fully realize the situation. Blood runs down the body of a snake that I so big I'm having trouble accepting it's real. It's impaled on the trunk of a huge tree, as if left as an example of it's killers power. _Did Cloud do this?_ I think, suddenly becoming apprehensive about meeting the man who carried me to safely. It makes no difference, I've come this far now.. There's no turning back.

 **A/N: Wooo A review. Was starting to feel lonely here haha. Not much to say about the story really, it's much easier to write than the others and i'm enjoying it. Moving on to the news ive waited 18 years for.. It's happening. They're actually remaking final fantasy 7. I'm so excited. If you haven't watched the trailer look it up, it's amazing. I could write a whole chapter long breakdown of what I saw in that chapter but the main thing most people notice is the two soldiers who I think is Biggs and Jessie. There's so many hidden little gems in the trailer and one even I didn't believe I saw at the beginning. See if you know.**

 **Question: What final fantasy X (Yes that right ff10) Character is seen in the ff7 remake trailer?**


	5. A Brush With The Turks

**Cloud's POV**

We head into the cave and immediately I'm met with a decision. The cave splits off to my left and right and after mentally flipping a coin in my head I decide to lead our team down the left path.

"Hey, look!" Aeris shouts as she points to the head of an old pickaxe head that stuck out of the roughly carved tunnel walls.

"This must be the mythril mines.." Barret mumbles as he rubs his hand across the jagged wall. "It is.. You see that blue stuff in the rock? That's mythril. This stuff used to cost a fortune until Shinra dug it all up to build their reactor cores outta the stuff."

We continue walking down the path until it opens up to a larger cave which sadly seems to go nowhere. To my left I see a thick vine growing down the edge of the wall, leading up to a ledge that could hopefully lead to a way out. Not wanting to tell them I might have taken the wrong route, I climb the vine and take a look around. To my dismay there is nothing but more rock or so I thought. Just as I was about to climb back down the rope like flora, a pink glow catches my eye behind a small rock on the ground.

"Materia.." I mumble. Glad my climb wasn't a complete loss.

I kneel down to retrieve the orb just as something crashes into the rock when my head was less than a second ago. Quickly diving into a roll, I get back onto my feet and draw my sword. In front of me stands a humanoid creature that stands about four feet tall. It's entire body seems to be made of raw muscle tissue and it's right arm is shorter than it's left but has an iron chain coming out of the tissue with a wrecking ball on the end.

"Cloud! Are you okay?!" I hear Tifa shout with concern.

I don't answer and instead fire a bolt of lightning at the monster, stunning it long enough to ram my blade into it's torso, sending it's body limp. The sole of my heavy boot pushes on the creatures body, freeing it from my blade and sending it crashing down to the tunnel above.

"Nevermind!" Tifa jokes, realizing I'm still in one piece.

"You done clownin' around?" Barret moans.

"Don't be mean!- Hey look!" Aeris jumps to my defense as I jump from the ledge. "An old tent.. Looks a bit beaten up but it might come in useful." She adds cheerily as she picks up the worn package.

"Yeah, might be our only option. Good find." I smile at her. "Looks like this isn't the right way. Let's try the right passage."

We return back to where we started and took the right path which snaked deeper and deeper into the cave, getting narrower with every step. _I hate confinement..._ My legs must have heard my subconscious fears and speed up into a near run when I finally see light at the end of the tunnel.

"Just a second!" A deep voice shouts, stopping me dead as I enter a more cavernous area.

"By any chance, are you.." Aeris begins.

"Do you know who I am?" The bald man in the suit asks to which I simply nod. "Well if you know, then this won't take long.. It's difficult to explain what the Turks do.."

"Kidnapping, right?" I fire back sarcastically.

"To put it negatively... You could say that.. But then that's not all there is to it anymore.."

"SIR!" A female voice from above shouts. We all quickly turn to find a woman in Turk suit and short blonde hair stood on the edge of a rocky platform above our heads. "It's alright Rude! I know you don't like speeches, so don't force it!"

"Then explain, Elena.." Rude says smugly.

"I'm the newest member of the Turks, Elena. Thanks to what you did to Reno, we're short-handed.. But because of that I got promoted to the Turks..." She begins to ramble. "Anyhow.. Our job is to find out where Sephiroth is headed and to try and stop you every step of the way!.. Wait a minute, it's the other way around... You're the ones getting in our way..."

"Elena... You talk too much.." A familiar voice echo's from the darkness.

 _Tseng..._

"Mr. Tseng!?" Elena shouts in surprise.

"No need to tell them about our orders." The head Turk says, stepping out of the shadows. "I thought I gave you your orders.. Now go.. And don't forget to file a report."

"Very well, Rude and I will go after Sephiroth, who is heading to Junon harbor!" Elena shouts, standing to attention.

"Elena... You don't seem to understand.." I can hear the irritation in Tseng's voice at this point. "Go.. Don't let Sephiroth get away."

"Yes sir!" They two turks nod, both vanishing in different directions.

"Stay out of Shinra's way." Tseng warns, before disappearing himself.

I look around at all of the possible exits before ultimately deciding to take the route Tseng took out of the mines. The cool breeze was one I welcomed gratefully after that claustrophobic cave. I vaguely remember Junon being on the west coast but something else catches my eye as I scan the slowly darkening horizon.

"Err... Barret.. What does that look like to you?" I ask, pointing to a distant shape in front of us.

"A big ass bird sitting on a hill... Hey I know that place.. It's a mako reactor. The people there weren't happy that Shinra built one there either.." Barret answers me.

"But you see the bird, right?" I ask again, convinced I'm going mad.

"It's a condor.. Didn't think they still existed.." Red says. "Grandpa used to tell me they could cast a shadow over a whole village as they flew, they where that big."

"If they hate the Shinra we might be able to get a place to sleep and something to eat there." Tifa says. "We don't know how long it is to Junon and we won't all fit in that tent."

"You're right, Tifa. Let's head there."

 **Lightning's POV**

I barely make it two steps into the cave then I'm knocked to the ground. I slowly stand back up using the rough stone wall for support to find somebody else getting up from the floor as well. A woman with dyed blonde hair and an expensive looking, blue suit glares at me with piercing eyes.

"Watch where you're going! I'm a Turk you know!" She shouts at me as she brushes dirt off her suit.

"Turk?" I ask out of curiosity.

"You've never heard of the Turks!? Shinra's Elite?"

 _Get away from Shinra..._

"Shinra.." I mumble before my hand reaches for my newly acquired weapon which is in my hand and pointing at the Turk before I even realize.

"You dare challenge a Turk, girl? Haha. If you live through this, I'm gonna throw you in prison forever!" She barks, pulling out a metallic rod from inside of her jacket.

My body freezes momentarily as I have another flashback that begins with a gunshot and ends with a rod, identical to the one in the woman's hand, sending and nerve burning wave of electricity through my body. The woman capitalizes from my hesitation and lands a direct hit on my left arm, releasing it's grip on my sword. With my right hand still gripping the sword tightly, I parry the next attack and the next. I still don't remember how I became a soldier or how I learned to fight but my body seems to, and is reacting accordingly to stay alive; but eventually it becomes apparent that I'm loosing when she ducks under my slash and hits me on the back of my leg with her baton. I fall to the ground, dropping my weapon as I clutch my leg. The blonde Turk stands over me menacingly, enjoying her moment of victory.

"What's your name, girl?" She asks.

"Lightning.." I strain, still clutching my leg.

"Lightning? How Ironic.. I can't wait to get to Junon and tell Rude about this.." She says, pushing a switch and electrifying the baton.

I watch as the woman raises the baton above her head but I refuse to go out without a fight. I ram my hand into my pocket and pull out the lightning materia, sending a bolt of electricity to the rod that was so bright it illuminated the cave for a split second before the capacitors in her weapon overloaded and it exploded in her hand, taking half of the rocky tunnel above her head with it. The dust chokes my lungs but I'm alive; and for now that's all I'm bothered about. Eventually everything settles and I find the left passage has caved in completely with the Turk on the other side of the rubble or underneath it; either way I'm not to concerned.

Resting for a moment, I remain seated as I pull out the other green orb that the crystal seller told me could heal wounds. As the lightning one worked better than I'd hoped I had no reluctance to try this one on myself. I first placed it on my broken arm and within seconds felt it's soothing power wash over my broken bone, healing it. Amazed at the power of this little ball, I healed my leg until all I had was a dull ache. I place the amazing little crystals back in my pocket and my fingers find something wet in there. The small glass vial has a crack in the top so I decide to make the most of it and drink the remainder of the liquid. Despite it's blue colour it tastes just like sweet honey and I feel it's effects immediately, taking away any pain I once felt.

"Lets hope the way through the mountain wasn't to the left.." I mutter to myself and turn down the only passage now available to me. The rest of the cave is easily navigated and I soon find myself looking at a crimson sunset. It's a sight so wonderful that I become fixated by it's beauty, thankful that I'm able to see it after so long in captivity. Unsure of which direction to travel in, I follow the base of the mountain until I come to a dense forest and decide to call it a day. The last drop of light was swallowed up by the horizon just as I assembled my tent, and with tired eyes, I looked up at the star filled sky and climbed inside the tent.

 **?** **POV**

"Well what do we have here..." I ask myself as I hop from branch to branch to get nearer. "A tent. Jackpot!"

I sneak closer and closer to the tent, using the tree's as cover and wait. After half an hour I hear no movement and I'm confident that my unsuspecting victim will be asleep so I creep on my hands and knees up to the zipped up entrance to the tent and open it slowly. Inside, I see the figure of a woman laying on her back and a sword that stuck in the ground next to her; but more importantly I see the faint glow of materia coming from a small satchel that was strapped to her leg.

With my epic ninja skills, I slip into the tent like a ghost and kneel down next to the woman and immediately come across a problem. There's no way in hell I could open the maroon pouch without waking up sleeping beauty here. My solution.. If I can't steal from the pouch then I'll just steal the pouch! _Okay Yuffie... Concentrate..._

My hand reaches of the clip on her inner leg and I press it gently until it unclips without making a noise. _One down... One to go..._ Thankful that she doesn't sleep curled up in a ball, I place my left leg in between her own and slip my hand underneath her white jacket in search of the remaining clip as my other arm keeps me propped up over her. My fingers locate the clip but they manage to brush the bare skin on her hip and she twitches, flicking her arm up from her side, up to her head, knocking my support arm away and sending me face first into her breasts. I pull my head from her cleavage just as her eye lids open to reveal my worst nightmare.

"Soldier eyes!" I scream, causing the woman to wince.

I dismount the dazed woman and make a break for it after snatching the satchel but just as my head pops out of the tent, I'm pulled back my the leg, I hear the terrifying sound of a blade being pulled from the earth and I know I'm trapped. _Or am I?..._

"Who are you?!" The pink haired woman shouts, pointing the tip of her mythril blue blade at me.

"Oh GAWD!" I huff, slyly grabbing a handful of dirt while maintaining eye contact. "I just wanted your stuff!"

"I suggest you give that back to me.." She says in a chillingly calm tone. _Trust me to steal from the only female soldier in the world!_

"This? Sure!" I smile and begin to raise the hand with the satchel in before I throw the handful of dirt in her face and make a break for it.

This time I'm clear and I've disappeared into the tree tops before the woman has even left the tent. I try to contain my excitement as she swears angrily at my escape, but she shouldn't blame herself; I'm just too good! I watch her for a little longer from my hiding spot as she packs up her tent and walks through the forest with an iron grip on her blade, probably on the hunt for me. Taking on a Soldier member is no big deal for a warrior like me, but I'll stay quiet until she passes... For her own safety, of course.. For the first time, I get the chance to peer into my prize. I undo the buckle and have to hold in an excited scream when I see the red orb between the two green ones.

"A summon! Dad's gonna have to take me serious now! And cash! This day is getting better and better!" I say before letting out a tired yawn. "I'll head to Wutai tomorrow. Time for some sleep.."

 **Lightning's POV**

Well karma has just came in the form of a thief. I guess I shouldn't have stole that Chocobo.. She was lucky to get away and if I find her on my travels she's going to meet the end of my sword. For now though all I can do is keep walking.

The morning sun rises from the horizon and shimmers on the sea in the distance. My eyes search the land and eventually find a small town sticking out from the side of a solitary mountain on the coast. _That'll do.._ I begin another long walk, wishing there was an easier way to travel the vast land as my stomach rumbled and cramped up. _When was the last time I ate?_ I press on, and to my surprise I finally make it to the town without collapsing. But that wasn't the biggest shock. As I got to the town, the mountain revealed an incredible secret. Built above the town and stretching all the way up to the tip of the mountain was a staggered city that was equipped with what I assume is the largest cannon I have ever seen. _That thing looks like it could blow up a country.._

"You okay miss?" I hear the voice of an old lady as I stagger into the town. "Here, come with me." She say's warmly, taking me by the arm and walking me inside the nearest house. "You look like you've had quite a night."

"You could say that again.. I've walked from Kalm to here in the past few days and last night I got robbed while I slept." I explained.

"You walked from Kalm?! You are a tough cookie." She smiles. "When was the last time you ate, dear?"

"Honestly.. I don't remember.." I say with such sadness. I'd give anything for food but I can't even buy any anymore.

"You sit tight, I'll soon fix that." The old lady says as she walks to the other side of her small house.

"I don't have any money.."

"Don't you worry. There's enough to go around. You just sit there and rest." I hear her say as my head starts to fall onto the table and my eyes finally loose their battle to stay awake.

 **A/N: Wooo lots of reviews. Woke up to a load so I thought I'd get a quick chapter done so you aren't all waiting. Not long now and they will soon meet. Just to recap, they've both made it through the mines but Cloud and co have gone to fort condor first and Light as skipped it. Yuffie... Well she's gonna get the shock of her life when Lightning catches up with her :P**

 **FF7 remake talk: Yes it's auron from ffx. He's in the slums leaning against a wall. I originally thought it could be Vincent but as it's a cutscene with Barret in it can only really be coming back from the bombing mission at the beginning and they're walking to 7th heaven for the first time. (7th heaven is on the left wall of the slums at the end.) I can't wait for it to come out and if I can reserve on in time I'll be getting the limited edition ps4 and getting rid of my old one. How many of you haven't completed 7 or 13? I never understood how people loved 10 but hated 13.. they're both good games with some serious flaws but one has Lightning in it. That's always a win for me. I'm rambling again.. Let me know what you think, and as always, thanks for reading.**

 **Oh random question.. Where are you all from?**


	6. The Kiss Of Life

**Lightning's POV**

The gentle tink of a plate being placed on the table snaps me out of my slumber and I sit bolt upright, giving the old lady a shock. I look down at the table and am almost in tears at the sight of food. A large, grilled fish; the type I've never seen before consumes most of its china pedestal and is surrounded by an assortment of vegetables and salad. I'm not sure what any of it is but what I do know is it smells wonderful.

"Eat dear, you look like you need it." The old lady smiles as she takes a seat across the small wooden table.

I devour the food which is cooked to perfection and wash it down with a sweet fruit juice. Finally I look up to the old lady to thank her for the meal when I see her flinch as we make eye contact.

"Are you okay?" I ask in concern.

"Your eyes... You're S-Shinra?.." She stutters.

"My eyes?" I say touching my face, expecting to feel something. "What's wrong with my eyes?"

"They're- S- S- Soldiers eyes.."

I stand from the table and rush over to a small mirror that hangs on the wall and look into it, gasping at my reflection. I look terrible; like I've been dragged through a hedge, but its my eyes that shock me. My cold blue eyes are now bright and stand out against my messy pink hair. _No.. They're not bright... They're glowing.._

"What's wrong with my eyes?!" I panic, earning a strange look from the woman.

"You mean you don't know?" She asks to which I shake my head.

"I've lost my memory.. I got carried to a place called Kalm by a man with blonde hair and eyes like this. He left me this note but that's all I know.. I don't know what Shinra is.. I didn't even think there was people living on Pulse anymore.." I say, handing the note Cloud gave me to the woman, who slips on a pair of glasses and reads it.

"I don't know what Pulse is but Shinra is a corporation that over the past 40 years has taken control of the world. They're a technological powerhouse. Anything that stands in their way gets wiped from existence. They have an army but they also have a group called Soldier.. People with eyes like yours that are so powerful, a single man can take on an army. Their bodies are showered in Mako and it gives them great strength.. You really don't know?"

"What's mako?" I ask, feeling more doomed by the minute.

The old lady that is now looking incredibly sorry for me goes on to explain everything she knew about Shinra, Soldier and the lifestream; making me question everything I thought I knew about where I was.

 **Cloud's POV**

I wake up after a peaceful sleep in a basic but comfortable bed that was offered to us by the people of this mountain village. I felt bad for not being able to help they fund their war against Shinra but I promise them that I will fight by their side when the time comes. Having more allies to fight against such a superpower certainly makes the task less daunting. Only Aeris and Tifa are in bed, catching up on much needed rest. I hear Red and Barret outside our room, offering advice to the village elder on how to deal with Shinra, all of which is futile if they decide to send Soldier, but I guess there's not much more we can do. Is it selfish to think that my mission is bigger than theirs?

"Good morning, Cloud." Tifa yawns.

"You sleep well?" I ask with a smile.

"Yeah.. I'm glad it was a bed and not a Tent." She grins.

"You leave my dirty old tent alone." Aeris laugh's as she sits up.

We all let out a much needed chuckle before I leave the room to meet with the village elder, who nods at me the second he see's me leaving the room.

"Do you have a minute?" I say, hoping to discuss a trade.

"Certainly, what can I do for you?"

"I know we can't help you fight the Shinra at the minute.. But would you be interested in a trade?"

"Depends on what you're offering, Mr Strife.."

"We're heading to Junon but we're running low on food. We have some grenades we took from Shinra troops when we broke out of Midgar. Would you trade the handful of grenades we have for some food? Even if it's just enough for the girls?" I ask, feeling bad for not looking after them like a leader should.

"I would have giving you food anyway.. An enemy of my enemy is my friend. But the grenades will really help in the fight. I'll have some food packed up for you immediately." The elder nods.

I hand over the grenades with a sense of accomplishment and head back into the room to find Tifa and Aeris sat on their beds, talking like the best of friends. They catch me smiling and look at me funny but I shrug it off and inform them that we're leaving and wait outside with Red and Barret. Tifa and Aeris join us just as the elder hands me a small backpack that is brimmed with food and I instantly walk over to the two girls to take the first pick.

"What's this?" Aeris wonders.

"Food. You two make sure you're full and we'll sort whats left out between us." I instruct.

"How gentlemanly." Tifa winks at me.

"OOO how gentlemanly!" Barret mocks, putting on a squeaky voice. "How come they get first pick?"

"Because I got Tifa and Aeris into this mess.. You were the one who wanted to save the planet if I remember.."

"Stupid ass..." He mumbles. "Come on.. Sephiroth ain't gonna stop himself.."

"We all sigh at Barret's moaning and set off towards Junon, hoping it gets us closer to Sephiroth. There's so many things I want to ask him.. Before I kill him.. _mom..._

Another long days walk is ahead of us and we will have to make good time to get there. After a few hours of walking we come across a dense forest and I make the decision to walk through it instead of around to save time and to keep us as concealed as possible. What a mistake that was.. The sound of something sharp cutting through the air caused me to sidestep, just in time to dodge a giant Shuriken that imbedded itself into the ground behind me. A young girl, who must have been 16 at the most, leaps from the tree and fires a bolt of lightning at me but with my materia set up I just absorb the shock and it simply arcs off my body before being grounded. The young ninja panics at the fact her attack did nothing and doesn't notice Tifa, who smashes her in the face after flanking around. We all stand around the young girl who was laying on her back and holding her face.

"Man.. I can't believe I lost.." She says before leaping up and creating some space between us. "You spikey headed jerk! One more time, let's go one more time!" She barks.

"Not interested..." I sigh, having no desire to kill her.

"Thinkin' of running away? Stay and fight! FIGHT, I said!" The young ninja shouts while signing obscenities at us. "You're pretty scared of me?"

"...Petrified." I answer in the least interested tone I could muster.

"Hmm, just as I thought. What do you expect with my skills? Good luck to you guys too. If you feel up to it, we can go another round. Later!" _This one's deluded..._

We watch as she starts to walk away. None of us still sure whats happening but with the problem leaving we think nothing of it. The ninja however only manages a few yards before turning back towards us.

"I'm really gonna leave. REALLY!"

"Wait a second!" I shout. _What am I doing?!_

We talk for a while and she tells us how she thought we were Shinra which is why she attacked and apologized for her actions before offering to join us so she could take revenge on them. I look around the group for objections and receive none, although their enthusiasm for the girl certainly wasn't present in their decision to keep her either. With decent fighting ability and a hate for Shinra that rivals any of our own we accept her help but I want to get to Junon soon so we leave without further chat.

"Let's get going..."

"Hey! Hey, I haven't told you my name! It's Yuffie!" I hear her shout from the back of the group.

A few more hours pass and I'm already regretting my decision. The girl doesn't stop talking and she seems to have an unhealthy obsession with materia. Asking us all how much we have, what we have and what level it was. My ear ache would soon be over when the sight of a small village became clear. I break into a sprint finding Red and Tifa keeping my pace, while the other three maintain their leisurely stroll.

As we get to the village we see it's shrouded in an eternal darkness by a runway that it's high above on the side of Junon city that like everything else made by Shinra; towers over everything, polluting it with darkness. On the other end of the derelict village is a huge steel door that hides a lift to Junon but it's guarded by a soldier equipped with a machine gun, but more worryingly a radio. Sticking out of the filthy sea water is a support beam that runs up to the airport above. Wondering if I can scale it, I lead us down some stone steps to what remains of a beach.

"Hey! Mr Dolphin!" a little girl shouts on the edge of the beach.

Much to my amazement, a dolphin leaps from the water at her command at comes as close at it can to her without beaching itself on the littered shore. I get closer and listen to the cute kid teaching the dolphin her name but she soon hears us walking behind her and her playful mood changes.

"Who are you guys? Are you members of Shinra?" She questions us.

"No, we're nothing to do with Shinra." Tifa says softly, kneeling down to be at her eye level.

"I don't believe you! Get out of here!" The little girl shouts.

"Great..." I sigh. It seems my outfit and everyone's hate for Shinra is going to cause us problems for the rest of the journey.

"Cloud, look!" Red interrupts, motioning towards something sinister that is heading our way from the sea.

A serpent like creature with transparent fins and scales like emeralds snapped at the dolphin, who only just managed to evade it's shark like jaws. The little girl ran into the water to protect her friend and was knocked out by the creatures fin before I could pull her back. Red grabs the girl's arm gently in his jaw and pulls her from the water before joining us in battle against the serpent.

The yellow eyed creature snaps at Tifa, who lands two good punches at the side of it's face but is left holding her hand in pain as the spiked tail of the beast blocks my sword and pushes me backwards. Red fires wave after wave of razor sharp shards of ice at the enemy but it doesn't do much more than stun it briefly. Another serrated fin comes my way and this time I'm ready, and my sword slices straight through it, removing it from the creatures body as it shrieks. The monster falls back and it's whole body starts to convulse causing the hairs on the back of my neck to stand up as I feel a mass of energy gathering in the atmosphere.

 **Lightning's POV**

"What's all of that commotion?" The old lady says as she's telling me about the city above us.

"Stay here, I'll go check it out." I nod, not wanting to put someone who has shown me such kindness in any danger.

I bolt outside, and get my first proper look at the village which is battered and run down. Buried deep into the sea is a huge, trellised copper support beam that supports the runway above which blocks out all of the sun. My eyes scan the area to find the source of the noise and I find what I'm looking for, hovering over the shore. I run around the old lady's house and find some stone steps next to the remnants of a small fishing port, that lead to the beach. That's when I finally get a proper look at what's going on. A huge creature, like nothing I've ever seen before hovers over the water's surface and looks down on it's prey.

"No!-" I shout when my eyes fall upon the sight I've been searching for. Cloud is stood with his sword drawn, waiting for the next attack from the beast as a woman, and I lion like creature struggle to their feet. At the bottom of the steps is a young girl in a yellow bikini that lays motionless. The creature moves back to the sea and it's whole body starts to shake but before my foot makes it to the first step I see a ten meter wave burst from the placid waters and crash into the shore. The wave was so high it even hit me, as well as most of the houses before the tide reclaimed it's water once more. The huge wave soaked me, but being on higher ground, I escaped the brunt of the mighty wave and rushed down the steps to Cloud, who was laying on his back as the creature slithered through the air to devour him.

I sprint through the wet, littered sand and draw my sword as I stand between the downed blonde and a three foot wide set of serrated jaws. The monster strikes at me but I roll out of the way before ramming my blade up through it's jaw but can't force the point high enough up to kill it. Before I know it, something slams into the side of my body and I watch as my world goes black and my hand let's go of the sword that remains inside the serpent..

 **Cloud's POV**

The sheer force of the tidal wave knocks me off my feet and I'm left looking at the advancing serpent, who's ready to make me it's next meal. To my amazement, just as the creature strikes I see a sight my eyes find to accept. The woman I carried from Midgar is stood over me, brandishing a sword and taking on the beast. I roll over onto my hands and knee's as the pink haired woman rolls away from the hungry jaws and jabs her sword up through the monsters head. By the time I'm back up the pinkette is laying face down in the water and I'm all that's left. Using my lightning materia, I send a powerful bolt of lightning to the handle of the woman's sword, which acts like a conducting rod and kills the serpent instantly. As soon as I know it's over, I race to the pinkette and pull her lifeless body of of the water. I carry her to the base of the steps and lay her down; pushing her hair out of her face as I do.

"What the hell happened!?- Hey ain't that?" I hear Barret say as he races down the stairs.

"She isn't breathing!" I shout. "Go check the others!"

"We're okay..." Tifa's voice say's weakly, much to my relief. "Hey, thats-"

"What do I do?!" I plead, now beginning to panic.

"You'll have to try CPR." Red says calmly.

"I don't know how to do mouth to mouth!"

"Big breath in, and pump her chest several times. It's now or never, Cloud.."

I have no idea what I'm doing but I know I have to try. I pinch her nose gently and pull down her chin to open her mouth, before breathing a large breath into the woman. When nothing happens, I place my palms on her chest and start pressing down firmly to no avail. Red motions to keep trying and I repeat the process several times, each time unsuccessful. Everyone is gathered around me, amplifying the failure and guilt I feel about the whole situation. _This is not how you should have died... you could have lived..._

Aeris' expression matches my own watering eyes when we both accept that the pinkette was gone, but the sound of coughing in my arms turns us both back to the woman. I sit her up and pat her back as she coughs up two lungs full of sea water and takes in her first breath of fresh air. The sound of her heavy breathing fills me with relief and everyone steps back to give her some space.

"What about the girl?" I ask, remembering the little girl who go attacked.

"She's okay, just a small bump on the head. Here grandfather has taken her home.." Tifa answers.

"Hey, are you okay?" I ask the pinkette, who looks at me with eyes like my own.

"Uurrgh... What happened?.." She say's holding her head. "Cloud?..."

"You were attacked by that thing." I say, pointing over to the dead, floating serpent. "How do you know who I am?" She say's nothing but instead pulls out a piece of paper that I recognize instantly. "You came all the way from Kalm to find me?"

"Yes.. I wanted answers.. And to thank you for what you did for me.." She says as she stands up.

"Answers?"

"I what to know what's happened to me.. I don't remember much. I was hoping you could fill in the- YOU!"

Everyone looks at the rose haired woman, who stopped mid conversation as she noticed Yuffie's head sticking out from behind Barret's muscular torso. For someone who was technically dead, she sure could run. Yuffie bolts up the stairs as the mystery woman takes pursuit and I'm glad her sword is still buried in the skull of the dead serpent. I shake my head and race after the pair, with the rest of the group running behind me to find out whats going on. As I reached the top of the stairs, I find Yuffie is being pushed into the wall of the nearest house with her arm twisted behind her back, inches away from snapping.

"Give it back, thief!" The woman roars, just before Tifa rushes past me and tackles the pinkette off our newest member of the group. "Get off me!" She shouts as Tifa keeps her pinned down.

"What the hells goin' on!?" Barret asks as he catches up to us.

"She stole my leg pouch!" The woman shouts, struggling to free herself from Tifa. "That has all of the money you gave me! I wanted to give what I had left back to you but she took it!"

I look at Yuffie's leg to find the pouch in question and it does look remarkably like the one I saw the woman with when I carried her to Kalm, but before I could say anything an argument breaks out all around me.

"You gave her all of our money!?" Barret shouts at me, demanding an answer.

"Yuffie, why did you take it?" I ask, ignoring Barret.

"I thought she was Shinra!" Yuffie shouts back in defense.

"Hey, I'm not done here!" Barret continues to rage.

"Don't shout at him like that, Barret." Aeris comes to my defense.

"We're on a god damn mission around the world to stop Sephiroth and that spiky haired idiot is giving away all of our resources to comatose strangers!"

"Enough!" Red roars, sending us all into silence.

"It talks!?" The pinkette squeaks.

Red sighs, not wanting to go over it all again, but I'm grateful for his interruption. Tifa removes herself from the woman and pulls her up, before marching over to Yuffie with her hand held out. Yuffie keeps her head down, not wanting to make eye contact with the brunette as she hands over the maroon leg pouch to her. I watch as Tifa returns the item to it's rightful owner with a smile, just as an old lady rounds the corner of the house to greet us.

"I see you stopped Priscilla from getting killed, why don't you come inside and dry off." The old lady says with a warm smile.

Everyone agrees and we all file into the house one by one until the Aeris shuts the door behind her. It takes a few moments before I realize the woman isn't even inside the house, so I walk over to the window to watch her walking out of the town.

"Aren't you going to go after her?" Aeris asks.

"I want to.. I just don't want to upset the rest of the group..." I say honestly.

"You're our leader. You make the decisions." She smiles. "Tifa will get over it eventually. Go on! Before it's too late!" She laughs.

I give her a smile; grateful of her warm, kind hearted attitude to everything before rushing outside and chasing down the pinkette.

"Wait! I didn't get your name!"

 **A/N: Guess i'll leave it there.. So they've finally met. I defiantly find writing much easier in the POV style as you may have guessed. It's taking me an hour or 2 to do a chapter instead of 2 weeks haha. Thanks for all of the reviews, it's great to read what people have to say and it gives me a good idea if I'm going good or going down the wrong path. Also confirms that nobody in the universe likes 10-2 haha. I do think nostalga has a lot to play in what ff games are deemed good. I'm from England, so only a ferry ride from Ireland. I've only been there once as a kid but I'd like to go back some day. You do Whiskey like no one else haha. Mexico is another place I'd like to visit but the flights to Mexico and America are soo expensive. For the cost of a plane ticket I can have an all inclusive holiday in spain lol.**

 **My favorite final fantasy game is 7. I enjoyed the 13 trilogy, despite their flaws and I liked 12. 10 I started to get into but the ending ruined it for me. That and that cringe worthy laughing scene..**

 **Favorite character is Cloud followed closely behind by Lightning (Who would have guessed!)**

 **Most ff characters are great though, with exception of ¾ of the cast of 12 and Cait sith. I just see no point in him whatsoever... Moving on..**

 **Thanks for reading and please let me know what you think of this chapter =D**


	7. The promise

**Lightning's POV**

"Wait! I didn't get your name!" I hear a voice shout from behind.

I pretend I don't hear the blonde's shouts and continue walking, unsure of where I'm going to go now. All of my answers were running after me but after what just happened with the thief, my pride won't let me turn around. Maybe it's not my pride. Am I scared to find out what I really am? I ponder some more until the panting blonde finally reaches me and blocks my path.

"You said you walked across half a continent to see me.. You really gonna walk away now?" He asks, destroying my reasoning for leaving.

"Don't flatter yourself.." I fire back, not wanting to show any weakness for the man.

"If you want to leave, I won't stop you.. But please be safe.." He says with a genuine warmness in his tone.

I turn and take a few steps, hearing a faint sigh as I do but my heart is begging me to stop and I listen.

"What happened to me?..."

"I found you in a laboratory in Shinra's headquarters.. In a tank full of mako... I just couldn't leave you there.." He replies.

"Do you know me?" I ask only to get a puzzled look. "...I've lost most of my memory..."

"No. Or at least I don't think so.. Something made me break you free, but I don't know what."

"Oh.." Is all I can muster, knowing my best chance to find out who I really was had no clue.

"What's your name?" He asks me, making me realize I never answered him the first time.

"Lightning."

"So, Lightning.. Are you going to go home?"

"I don't know how to get there.. I can't even see Cocoon from here.." I sigh looking to the sky.

"Cocoon?" I asks, again looking at me puzzled. "Where's that?"

"If this is Pulse, then it should be up there?" I say, pointing to the sky. "But I don't see it.."

"Pulse? The planet is called Gaia.." The blonde says, now looking at me like I'm insane.

My eyes fill up with rare tears as I'm forced to question what little I know. Am I mad? have I dreamed up a make believe world to fill in the gaps in my memory? I thought it was all coming back to me, but every time I think I'm getting answers, I learn less and less about myself and it's all become too much. I bury my face in my hands to hide my watering eyes, but I feel the man's hands wrap around my wrists and gently pull my hands away. He looks at me with his strange, piercing eyes, like he understands and gives me a small smile before finally speaking.

"When I'm done with my mission, I'll come back to you and we'll work out your past and we'll find your home.. I promise.." Cloud says in the most sincere tone that I've ever heard, before placing a hand on my shoulder. "Goodbye Lightning.."

"Wait!" I shout as he starts to walk away. "I want to come with you!"

"I can't ask you to do that.. We're after Sephiroth. The whole world is against us.."

"You didn't ask, I did. Besides, if you die, I won't get any answers." I reply, with a lie. The truth was, the man that stood in front of me was the only person in the world that I trusted right now.

He lets out a defeated sigh, knowing I won't take no for an answer, and leads us back to the village, to the old lady's house.

"I promise not to kill your friend." I say in mono tone as he pauses at the door but lets a small grin out.

We go inside and nobody seems to be shocked by my presence. My eyes fall upon the young thief, who walks towards me, holding my sword. She doesn't dare look at me and offers the sword to me to which I take and hold out my arm to shake her hand. The young girl looks shocked but happy and shakes my hand vigorously, before retreating to the nearest seat. It's then when I notice all eyes were on me. Sensing my discomfort, Cloud takes center stage and introduces me to the group, who take it in turns to greet me.

"I'm Aeris! Nice to meet you!" The brunette in the pink dress says as she hugs me like we're the best of friends. "I love your hair colour. Where do you buy your dye?"

"Hi.. Er.. I don't dye my hair.. At least I don't think so.." I answer her strange question.

"It's getting dark out.. We better get moving.." Cloud says, staring out of the window.

"Stay here for the night, my dear. If you're planning to get into Junon there's no way you could get up there at night. Even if you could get into the lift, it is powered down at night." The old lady explains.

"Are you sure?"

"You saved Priscilla from that monster. The least I can do is let you rest."

 **Cloud's POV**

I sit on the floor of the dark and cramped house that's nearly silent, other than the gentle sound of the waves outside and the light breathing of my friends. Even Barret isn't storing tonight, giving us much needed peace. I open a single eye and watch Lightning, who is fighting sleep with every bit of will power she had left, but eventually succumbing to it's call. Once I know she's fell asleep and she wasn't going to take off in the middle of the night, I relaxed and drifted off myself.

… _.. That reminds me.._

 _You again?.. Who are you?_

… _.You'll find out soon... But more importantly, 5 years ago..._

 _5 years ago... Nibelheim?_

 _When you went to Mt. Nibel, Tifa was your guide, right?_

 _..Yeah,.. Surprised me.._

 _But where was Tifa other than that?_

 _...I dunno._

 _It was a great chance for you two to see each other again._

 _...You're right.._

 _Why couldn't you see each other alone?_

 _...I don't know... I don't remember clearly..._

 _Why don't you try asking Tifa?_

 _Yeah.._

 _Then, get up!_

"Hey, wake up. Wake up, Cloud!" I hear Tifa's voice command softly, bringing me around slowly.

I slowly stand up, stiff from sleeping on the floor and stretch out wide, cracking my back as I do. Everyone slowly leaves the house but I hang back and wait until it's just me and Tifa. With last night's dreams still fresh in my mind, I need to ask her before we continue.

"Tifa..." I say, getting her attention. "When Sephiroth and I went to Nibelheim, where were you?"

"...We saw each other, right?" She answers but looks away and adjusts her hair, making me feel uneasy.

"The other time.."

"No.. It was 5 years ago.. I don't remember.." My oldest friend answers, but something doesn't feel right. "But, something seems strange outside. Cloud, come quick." She adds before bolting outside, ending any possibility to question her more.

I head outside, noticing for the first time an upbeat tune that sounded like parade music blurring from above. I walk over to the rest of the group, who are stood in a circle, all talking to Lightning who is still staring at Red in sheer amazement every time he talks. I'm just about to get everyone to move when the door to a house on my right swings open and the little girl who we'd seen on the beach makes her way down the wooden stairs.

"Are you alright now?" I ask her as she makes it down the last step.

"Ummm.. Thanks for helping.." She nods nervously. "I'm sorry I mistook you for one of those Shinra guys.."

"That's alright." I smile.

"I'll give you something SPECIAL!" She shouts, walking over to me and handing an amulet with a large red orb dangling from it. _A summon?_

"What's that music? It sure sounds lively." Barret asks, humming away to the tune.

"I heard they were rehearsing the reception for the new Shinra president." Priscilla explains.

"Rufus!? I gotta pay my respects.." He says angrily, stroking his deadly limb.

Priscilla tells us the story of what her village used to be like before the Shinra came and cast a shadow over it. This derelict village used to be a thriving fishing port that supplied the continent with fresh fish but now it's not much better than the slums. We discuss our options until scaling the high voltage tower seems to be the only viable way of breaking into the second most secure city in the world. Priscilla say's she knows a way up, but as I look around, it seems like I'll be going on my own.

"High voltage tower... I guess that means Cloud'll have to do it.." Tifa says.

"Yeah, better leave it to Cloud!" Aeris agrees as everyone begins to walk away from me.

"H-Hey!" I Shout, feeling properly stitched up.

Lightning seems hesitant to let me go alone, but Tifa takes her by the arm and walks her over to Aeris as the three of them chat like the best of friends. I look around but nobody is brave enough to make eye contact with me, so I'm forced to follow the young girl back down to the beach on my own.

 **Lightning's POV**

"Don't you think we should go with him?" I ask, shocked at their willingness to sit back and watch him do something potentially deadly.

"Trust me, he'll be alright." Tifa replies with great confidence. "See." She adds, pointing to the blonde who was now scaling the structure.

"But we can't just let him do it on his own!" I shout and run back to the beach and into the water.

"Wait! You're gonna get-!" Was all I heard before I reached up and grabbed the base of the support beam and felt thousands of volts flow through my body like burning needles as soon as my fingertips touched the bare metal. There was a loud bang, and i was launched back into the water, in pain and disorientated. I don't remember much, but I see Tifa's arm pull me out of the water and the next thing I know, I was on the shore, coughing up water once again.

"How did Cloud do it?" I ask, demanding an answer as to why I couldn't

"He has his lightning and elemental materia equipped to his armour. It grounds him from the current. We did try to tell you.." Tifa explains.

"Mr Dolphin helped too!" Priscilla added.

"Someone needs to explain materia to me..." I huff as I stand up.

"You really don't remember anything?" Aeris asks me.

"Everything I thought I knew seems to be a lie.. I thought this planet was called Pulse and that my home was Cocoon.. The floating world.. I don't even know if I have a sister or not.." I mumble, trying not to let it all get to me.

"Damn girl.. You're as messed up as Cloud is." Barret say's, earning himself a frown from the three girls.

"Right.. Go check our supplies. Me and Lightning are going to the store and getting what we need." Aeris commands with her gentle tone as she takes me by the arm and leads me into the a building across the street from the old ladies house.

"You probably think I'm crazy, right?.." I ask Aeris as we brows the shelves.

"Nope." She smiles warmly. "I'm sure you'll find out where you're from. We'll all help.. Hey, do you think I'd suit pink hair?"

"Err.. Maybe... What's wrong with your hair?" I ask, amazed at her ability to change the subject.

"Cloud seems to like pink hair." She answers, blushing. "Soo.. How are we going to get to the city up there?"

"Leave that to me.." I smile, eager to prove myself to the group. "Come on."

We leave the store, having never bought anything due to it's limited stock and meet the others in the center of the village. By now, Cloud is probably deep in the heart of the city above, and after hearing just how heavily fortified it is, I'm concerned. I look around, weighing up my options; ruling out scaling the support pillar or abseiling down the mountain that was cut out to accommodate the busy port due to time. The lone guard at the city lift was all that stood between me and what I wanted. How hard could it be? I walk over to the man, who stiffens his stance as he sees me approach. I notice his finger slip nervously onto the trigger but I'm ready with my materia if I need to fight.

"I want to go up." I say flatly.

"Shinra I.D please.." He replies, knowing I have none.

"I've got no I.D. But if you let me and those guys over there up, I'll make it worth your while." I offer as I point to the horror stricken faces of Cloud's friends in the distance.

"Oh really? Just what do you have in mind." The guard says with a filthy grin, instantly making me realize what I'd said.

"I meant money.." _What a creep.._

"Fine.." He huffs with a disappointed tone. "10 gil each.."

I wave the others over and we all watch as the blast doors open as I hand the guard his money and enter. We step onto the lift floor that has no rails and press the button and ascend up the damp concrete tunnel. I can only hope Cloud is still alright.

 **A/N: Another sort one sorry. Not much has happened but The next chapter will be bigger and more interesting. I do love Tifa and I felt mean for making her a little mean in my other story so her warmness will come out in this one. For now anyway. XD You're right about the characters. Vaan is terrible. I liked Fran.. Think it was the voice.. but 12 doesn't feel like a ff game. I enjoyed the scale of the world, and the gameplay I found fun once you got into it properly. There shall be some nice moments in the near future but I want it to be a 'Slow burn' I feel lost when the chase is gone haha.**

 **Soo.. Let me know what you think.. And as always, thanks for reading.**


	8. The Pretend Soldier

**Cloud's POV**

My eyes peer over the edge of the runway, checking if the coast is clear, before pulling myself up onto the lofty platform. I resist the urge to look back down and instead look at the huge airship that hovers at the end of the runway. Red and green strobe lights flash all over the massive aircraft and the engines are running. I'm left with a debate to destroy it or steal it for myself but I see several engineers on the rear deck that would spot me from a mile away. Moving to the start of the runway, I pass a small fleet of Glenika bombers, as I scan for a way down. _Looks like the aircraft lift is the only way... Great..._

The control panel to the gigantic lift is at my feet but I really don't want to press it. The sheer size of it and the noise would we heard for miles but I'm left with no choice. I lift up the cover on the switch and press it, sending the one hundred square meter platform down to the floor below with a deep whine. The door in front of me will give me cover until I figure out where Sephiroth is, so I rush inside, only to be nearly knocked down by three Shinra soldiers, who seem far to busy to even care who I was.

"Hey! You still dressed like that?! Come here!" A red suited Shinra officer demands.

I look at him in confusion, but I quickly realize he has no idea who I am so I use it to my advantage. I'm lead into a locker room and pushed over to the far locker by the impatient officer.

"Today's the big day when we welcome President Rufus! Hurry up and change!"

I open the locker door and find a Shinra troop uniform. I pull it out and examine it closely. I was so proud when I put this on. It was my first step in my goal of becoming Soldier first class. A life long ambition to prove to my self and a certain girl that I was a hero. I hear the officer clear his throat, becoming impatient with my daydream so I change into the uniform and swap my sword for a rifle, hoping it wouldn't be the last time I saw it.

"Wow. You look good in it, kid." The officer compliments me when I stand to attention. "You remember the greeting procedure, right?"

"Rufus has arrived!" One of the grunts shouts as he barges into the door.

"Alright, show time!" The officer shouts, pushing me out of the door.

We run out of the room and down the corridor, taking the door on the right which leads us outside, to the first of the many staggered levels of the town. On my left is the sea, that's reflecting the amber sun off it's calm surface and to my right is rows of high rise buildings. What really stood out however was the pinnacle of Shinra's technological prowess and military might. The mako cannon. A huge weapon that was built during the war with Wutai that was capable of shooting across continents and was powerful enough to destroy entire cities. If Soldier couldn't have beaten Wutai then I imagine this cannon would have.

"Oh no! No ones here!" One of the grunts shouts.

"Late!" Says another.

"Captain! We'll take a shortcut!"

"Great idea! Lets go!" The officer says, rushing us all down an alleyway.

As we all reach the end of the alley I see Rufus Shinra waving to the cheering crowds, as he leads platoons of soldiers down the streets. The two soldiers in front of me wait for a gap, and with military timing and precision, march out of the alley and slip into formation like they where there all the time. When I feel a firm hand push me out of the alley, I realize it's now time for me to do the same. I take a deep breath, before waiting for the next group of soldiers to pass and march out behind them before taking my place at the end of the row and raising my rifle in the air in time with everyone else. We continue on until we reach a tram that is waiting to transport Rufus to the next level.

 **Lightning's POV**

"Cloud's gun be pissed when he finds out all we needed was a few gil to get up here.." Barret laughs as the lift finally stops.

"Do you guys do this to him all of the time?" I ask, trying to repress a smile.

"Not really.." Aeris says sheepishly.

"You made him dress up as a woman!" Barret roars with laughter.

"What!?" Me and Red say in shock.

"It's a long story. We had to break Tifa out of a brothel.." Aeris explains, as if it was something completely ordinary.

I frown at the group and begin to question my own judgment for joining them. Although for Cloud's safety a suppose I'd better stick around. We leave the lift and I'm met with a corridor and a choice. There are doors up and down the room but I decide to take the door closest to us which I open slowly and pop my head around only to find a locker room that smells worse than I could have ever imagined. I wrinkle my nose at the smell and am about to shut the door when I see something out of place. _Is that Cloud's sword?_

"In here." I command, ushering the rest inside the room.

"Hey! That's!-" Aeris begins.

"Yep. His sword.." I say, confirming what her eyes see.

"And his clothes..." Tifa says in a worried tone as she opens up the end locker. "I'm worried.."

"Don't be.. He's doing exactly the same as what we're about to do.." I answer.

"And that would be?..." Barret asks, now looking worried.

"We're all going to disguise ourselves in Shinra uniform." I say with a determined, unquestioning tone.

"How am I gonna get in one of those sinny ass grunt uniforms?!" He moans, holding one up that looked half of his size.

"Hey! Barret! What about this!?" Aeris squeaks, bringing everyone's attention to the huge sailors suit she is hiding behind.

"Perfect." I wink.

"You must be outta ya damn mind!"

"Are you going to let your pride get in the way of hitting Shinra where it hurts?" Tifa asks him.

"Gimmi the damn thing here..." He finally huffs in defeat.

"Not wanting to point out the obvious.. But what about me?" Red says, bringing his feline form to our attention.

"Can you stand on your back legs?"

"Yes but not very well..." He says cautiously, not liking where this was going.

"Good. You've had a few two many at the bar.. We'll escort you around."

"Hey! Look!" Yuffie interrupts, holding up a strange metallic helmet. "It's a Soldier helmet!"

"Now the plan is perfect.." Tifa adds, now making me confused. "Lightning has mako eyes, so she'll stick out like a sore thumb, but if she puts on Cloud's clothes and sword she could pass for Soldier."

"But there are no female Soldier operatives are there?" Barret says.

"Hence the helmet.. Keep up, Barret." Tifa jokes.

"Erm... I see two problems with your plan, and they're both below my chin." I say looking down at my breasts; which, while they weren't the size of bowling balls like Tifa's, I still could not pass as a man.

"Don't you worry about that." She says with a wicked smile. "Boys, get changed outside. We need the room."

Barret and Red leave the room and I'm left trapped in here with two girls that are grinning from ear to ear while the youngest sits in the corner, looking as confused as I am. I'm instructed to remove my jacket and top, which is done under protest as Aeris removes several belts from spare Shinra uniforms and bandages from first aid kits that were found in each locker before placing them across my breasts and handing the ends to Tifa, who is stood behind me. I head her thread one end through the buckle and pull tightly, pulling my skin in.

"Can you still breath?" Aeris asks warmly.

"Yeah.. just about." I nod.

"She can go a little tighter." The flower girl laughs as Tifa tightens the belt to the next notch.

After ten minutes, several belts and bandages have been wrapped around my chest, giving me a more masculine figure and Cloud's baggy clothes finished the look. Only my face and long pink hair would indicate that I was a woman, but that would soon be rectified when Tifa wrapped my hair up and placed it inside the Soldier helmet, before placing it on my head, showing only my mouth and two eyes to the rest of the world. Tifa and Aeris stood back and admired their work for a moment, before the impatient Avalanche leader booted the door open and stomped inside, looking less than impressed.

"HAHAHA!" Yuffie laughed as her eyes found Barret who was head to toe in white, including a white sailors hat with blue trim.

"Erm.. Yuffie... There's no military uniforms left... You'll have to wear one too.." Aeris says, bracing her self for the young ninja's sulking.

"This is stupid.." She moans, snatching the uniform and pulling it over her clothes. "Where's Red? That'll cheer me up.."

"Laugh at me, human and I'll eat you.." Red says as he waddles in.

"Perfect.. Right, let's go." I nod, noticing everyone was ready. Well.. as ready as we would ever be.

"Wait!" Tifa shouts, placing a hand on my shoulder. "You're Soldier, remember. They are confident, powerful and do no get questioned by anybody.."

I nod in understanding and lead the group out of the locker room and down the hallway. Aeris stops to look out of the window at a huge airship but we need to keep moving. A gentle tap on the shoulder later, we're all walking through a door on the right. It leads us out into a road that's shrouded by a short tunnel, which briefly hides the sheer magnitude of the Shinra's power. I look up at the structure sticking out of the town and it takes a moment to dawn on me just what it was. When I finally realized it was a cannon, I stopped for a second to look at it in awe.

"We have to keep moving, Light." I hear Tifa whisper to me from behind as she and Aeris have Red's front legs over their shoulder and are carrying him like the drunk soldier he was pretending to be.

I continue to lead the group down the wide and empty road, until my eyes spot a group of Shinra grunts in the distance through the narrow slits in the visor. I maintain my pace and attempt to pass them, only to be stopped by a man in a red uniform who demands us to halt.

"Only authorized personnel are permitted past this point to the president's ship!" He shouts.

I remember what Tifa told me about Soldier operatives and walked up to the man, getting that close that my helmet is nearly touching his nose as I glare at him with my now bright eyes. I see the fear across his face and revel in the power that a Soldier must command. I lower my voice as best as I can and begin to speak.

"I am Soldier first class.. Zack.. You have no power over me... grunt... I am escorting these on board to do their duties before I perform my own.. Protecting the president.. Would you like me to tell him how a mere foot soldier thought the president didn't deserve my protection?.. I didn't think so... Move aside..

The man bows his head and steps back, looking like he's about to have a heart attack and allows us all to pass without further question. We continue on, until the ship is in sight. If the president is traveling it must mean Sephiroth is on another continent. I just hope Cloud is already on board too..

 **Cloud's POV**

After a brief grilling from Heidegger, as a result of his own grilling from Rufus over not getting the airship I passed on the runway ready in time; we where about to be marched to the ship to perform a final send off ceremony when the officer notices a group of men heading towards us being lead by a Solder 1st class. _Wait a minute... that's my sword!_

"Halt!" The officer shouts. "Only authorized personnel are permitted past this point to the president's ship!"

I watch as the Soldier walks up to the officer and stares at him, whispering something none of us could here before the officer bows and steps away with his tail tucked well and truly beneath his legs. The Soldier marches past the officer and I notice something that brings a smile to my face. At the back of the metallic helmet, a lone strand of pale pink hair. I can't help but grin as I finally take my eyes off her and notice the others who follow in her wake.

"Come on! To the docks before the president leaves!" The embarrassed officer shouts after making sure Lightning was out of his sight.

We run down the wide road to the end where a large cargo ship is waiting with its rear cargo door open and line up in formation, ready to greet the president. I keep my eyes on the ship, scanning it's insides for my friends until the doors on the right slide open and Heidegger and Rufus walk in and greet the officer. Rufus is only feet from me.. I glance down at the clear line on my rifle magazine and see that it's full of bullets. I could kill him right now and end Shinra's reign but I wouldn't get out of the city alive and Sephiroth is my real goal. Letting out a silent sigh, I follow the officers orders and perform a routine for the president like some form of circus animal.

"Well done.." Rufus says to us all. "Keep up the good work for Shinra inc."

Heidegger barrels over to the first grunt in the line, inspecting him carefully as he stands to attention, before handing a small bag over to him. He repeats the same to the next solder, who is visibly shaking but relaxes when he too is handed a small bag. I'm up next and have decided to let fate decide as to weather or not I kill them all by standing casually and waiting to be punished again.

"Gya haa ha! Here's a special bonus for you!" He says with that irritating laugh as he pulls a sword that was hidden from my sight with his obese body and hands it to me. "A token of the president's kindness! Don't forget it!"

"Once the word gets out that Sephiroth is here, Cloud and his friends will show up, too." Rufus says to his green coated general as he walks to the back of the ship.

"We'll crush them as soon as we find them!" Heidegger shouts confidently. "Leave it up to me, sir! Gya haa ha!"

 _What.. With the sword you just gave me?.._

"I thought I told you to stop that stupid laugh..." Rufus finally says, sparing us all from that terrible laugh before they both board the ship.

"You're all dismissed!" The officer roars, causing the grunts to scatter.

I wait for the officer to leave and leap onto the rising, loading ramp and onto the ship. Worst case senario is I'm on my own. But now, I have a gun and a sword.. Maybe it's better this way.. I don't want any of them to get hurt because of me.. Not even Barret. The ship's horn sounds and I feel the engines fire up, shaking the ship slightly as they do before it slowly pulls off from the dock.

I don't get three steps before I see something that tells me that my friends are on board. A short sailor, who's clothes are three sizes to big for her is hunched over a crate, trying not to be sick. I'm actually glad to see her but a sea sick sailor is going to get us caught very quickly. I walk over to her and she jumps when she see's me, thinking that I'm Shinra.

"Yuffie, it's me.."

"Ugggh.. This is why I Hate ships..." She heaves. "Hey, Cloud.. Do you have any tranquilizers?"

"I'm not knocking you out for the duration.. Here take one of these.. It will stop the sickness for a few hours.." I say, handing over a small packet of medicine to which she takes gratefully.

"Thanks, Cloud.." She smiles.

I make my way through the ship, past the piles of crates and barrels only to be gripped from behind by a Shinra grunt. Thinking my cover is blown, I grab the man's wrist from around my neck and am about to throw him to the ground when the smell of flowers finds it's way into my nostrils. Loosening my grip, I turn to the masked soldier and my eyes find a warm smile beneath the visor.

"Hey, Cloud. Did you see the airship at Junon?" She asks excitedly as I nod. "Hey, do you think I could get on it?"

"I'll take you some day." I promise, feeling warm inside as her bright eyes light up. "Providing we're not forced to destroy it, that is.."

I let Aeris get back to her pretend work and continue navigating my way around the ship. I pass a large steel door that is guarded by a Shinra troop and head up the stairs and onto the deck of the ship. The cold breeze is a welcome contrast to the humidity in the bowels of the ship and for a moment I forget about my problems and look over the side at Junon, which is shrinking further into the distance with every second. As the continent vanished from the horizon it dawned on me just where we were going. I don't want to see the charred remains of my home town...

Looking around the ship's deck, I try to spot the rest of the team and within seconds I find one. Stood on a lookout post was Tifa. Even with the Shinra uniform on and a helmet I could spot her a mile away. Other than her generously proportioned body, she had a way of walking that I could spot from a mile away. I watch as she notices me staring and waves me over.

"Yes Sir! Everything quiet, Sir!" Tifa shouts with a mock salute. "But you know what? I really hate this uniform.. Uniforms, soldiers, war... I hate 'em all.. They take away the things you love.." She says, her voice breaking at the memory of her father. "Anyway! Everything is all good here, Sir!" She smiles, not willing to let her hatred for Shinra get the better of her.

I return the smile and walk to the bow of the boat, where the bridge is situated behind it's bullet proof glass only to find a Soldier first class tackle a huge sailor to the ground. The helmet comes flying off the Soldier's head, revealing a mass of pale pink hair and as I get closer I realize it's Barret that she has pinned to the ground.

"Light! What are you doing!?" I shout as I jog behind her.

"Get down!" She shouts. "Away from the window!"

I look to my right and quickly realize Rufus is stood a few feet away from me behind the glass so I do as instructed and hide beneath the glass. An angry Barret is still struggling under Lightning, who's surprisingly strong enough to pin the beast of a man down. He looks at me, wondering why I'm not dragging her off but I shake my head and he finally relaxes.

"Cloud! He's right there!" Barret whispers angrily. "She stopped me from shooting him!"

"No.. What she did was save your life. That's bullet proof glass and we're in the middle of the ocean on a Shinra ship." I say bluntly.

"Then let's take the ship!" He huffs, still defiantly wanting to take the brute force approach.

"Listen to me.. We'll make them pay for what they've done.. just not yet.. I promised a little girl in Midgar that I'd keep you safe so you could come home.. Don't make me a liar.." I explain, finally getting through to him.

 _Emergency alert! Reports of a stowaway found! Those not on detail, search the ship! Report when found!_

"Shit! Did they find us?!" Barret panics.

"No.. I don't think so.. We better go check on the others." Light says, to which I agree.

The three of us race back to the center of the deck to find everyone else waiting for us. I count everyone twice just to be sure, and when no troops come to capture us I'm unsure what we should do.

"Looks like we're all here." Tifa counts.

"Sephiroth..." I mumble as it finally dawns on me who the other stow away was. I break into a sprint across the deck and down the metal staircase, clearing it in 3 small leaps. Avery sailor and soldier at the bottom of the stairs lay dead and scattered across the floor. At a glance, I see nothing and turn to face the doorway that was once guarded when I hear the sound of boots on metal. Turning back ot the stairs I find Lightning and Tifa running down to my aid. I nod at them silently, as my hand takes the door handle and pushes the door open slowly.

As I enter the room which turns out to be the engine room, I find another dead solder to my left, but a live Shinra officer stood across the room with his back too me. Walking nervously towards him, I don't say a word until I'm right behind him. He turns to face me but the light in his eyes has faded and he drops to his knees before collapsing in a heap on the ground, bleeding heavily.

" _After a long sleep... The time... The time has come.."_

"Look, Cloud!" Tifa shouts, pointing to the figure that is rising from the ground.

"Sephiroth! You're alive!" I shout, shocked at actually seeing him after all of those years.

".. Who are you?..." He asks.

"You don't remember me!? I'm Cloud!"

"Cloud.."

"Sephiroth! What are you doing?! What are you thinking!?" I roar angrily.

"The time.. Is now.."

"What are you saying!? Be more-" Was all I could speak when the silver haired General charged, knocking all three of us off of our feet.

I quickly climb back onto my feet where I'm met with a creature that stands eight feet tall and resembles Jenova and her fleshy wings. I draw the weapon from my back and charge at the blue and pink creature.

 **A/N: Another one done. Next chapter will be the battle and a nice moment between the two. Leave a review and let me know what you think. And as always, thanks for reading.**


	9. The new continent

**Lightning's POV**

I race down the stairs and into the open door in front of me with Tifa hot on my heels; both of us concerned for the blonde. We race through the door to Find dead bodies scattered across the floor, as Cloud is slowly approaching a lone Shinra officer. His back is to us, but when Cloud gets withing a few feet of the man he turns, only to drop to his knees before finally falling dead in a pool of blood. The hairs on the back of my neck stand up when I wonder just what could have killed all these people, but I get my answer moment's later.

"Cloud, look!" Tifa shouts as I watch a figure rise from the solid floor.

The man that wore all black, rose from the ground like a ghost. His long silver hair framed his eyes which where like mine and Clouds, but his pupils where narrow slits like a cat's and had a sinister coldness about them. It was when the blonde spoke, I realized just who I was looking at. _So this is Sephiroth..._

We listen to the pair exchange words and I'm left confused. From what I remember about Cloud's story as I lay on the inn bed, they were once friends. But the silver haired man looked at him like he was a complete stranger. My hand finds it's way to my sword.. No not my sword.. I have Cloud's.. And just as I'm about to draw it, the man launches himself at us, somehow knocking the three of us off our feet at once. I'm not down for long, quickly pulling myself up and checking on Tifa who looks slightly dazed but ready to fight.

My attention turns to Cloud and I find him running with his sword scraping across the floor. That's when I see it.. Like something out of a horror movie, a monster that towers over the blonde that seems to be made of raw, ooze filled flesh and lacking proper limbs. It's only extremities were tentacle covered wings of muscle tissue. I watch the blonde duck under a wave of laser beams that is fired from one of the creature's many tentacles and drive his sword into it's meats base.

The angered monster shoots beams of blue lights repeatedly at Tifa, who manages to dodge the first two with graceful rolls but the third hits her in the shoulder, burning her but not stopping the martial artist from delivering a barrage of punches to it's body. Now it's my turn.. I see Cloud pull his stuck blade from the creature as one of it's tentacles starts to twitch above his head. With no time to reach him, I send a bolt of lightning at the tentacle, which causes it to spasm and fire the laser in my direction. My eyes widen as I prepare my body for the hit, but it doesn't come. Yet again, my body comes to my rescue on instinct and the borrowed blade's wide face is in front of me, deflecting the shot back at the monster. The smell of burning flesh fills my nose but my brief triumph ends when I find my body is unable to move. I begin to panic as I feel an invisible force pinning me to the spot as one of the many fleshy tentacles takes aim at me again. Cloud had just finished freezing one of it's wings of muscle when he notices me frozen to the spot and quickly sprints towards me.

"Look out!" I scream, not wanting him to be hit by the burning beam, but he continues anyway, tackling me out of the way and taking a hit to his shoulder. Tifa heals the undoubtedly burned skin seconds later as I feel guilty for wearing the shoulder armour that would have protected him. _Why can't I remember how to fight properly?.. I know I can.._ I think as I watch The blonde and the brunette battle the creature in perfectly in sync with each other. Seconds later the battle is over, after Cloud sends a wave of blue light from his blade and into the monster, almost cutting it in half.

"Jenova... The arm of Jenova.." Cloud mutters as he bends down to find what looks like a severed human arm with blue skin, in the place of the downed creature.

"Jenova... He's been carrying this thing around?" Tifa questions, just as the limb liquifies and vanishes.

"So it was Sephiroth.." The blonde concurs. "Hey, are you alright?" He asks me as I try to catch my breath.

"I'll live.." I pant. "Here's your sword back.."

 _ **Dock workers- We will be docking in Costa Del Sol in 5 minutes. Prepare for docking!**_

"Keep hold of it until we get off the ship." He smiles faintly.

"We should hide somewhere again." Tifa suggests, to which we both agree.

I follow Tifa out of the door, but turn just in time to find the blonde pick something up from the floor and take one last look around. I don't think he'd ever admit to it; but what just happened in there bothered him greatly. We end up hiding on the deck of the ship and wait for it to dock on the pier before climbing down the anchor chain and onto dry land.

"Damn! Sure is hot here!" Barret says as he wipes his brow. "But I sure feel better now that I can say goodbye to this sailors suit.

"Oh, too bad. I liked your sailors suit." Aeris teases. "You looked so cute!"

"What'ya mean 'cute'?!" The man mountain says with an annoyed tone.

"Right.. Well.. ur.. Barret, why don't you use them as pajamas? Right lightning?" Tifa asks as he turns to me.

I manage a nod, but this heat is getting to me and my stubbornness refuses to let me say anything. It must be one hundred degrees and I have on two sets of clothes and a mass of belts and bandages crushing my chest. Refusing to show any weakness, I stand with the others as they continue to take fun of the Avalanche leader.

"Ahhh.. You look like a bear wearing a marshmallow." Cloud laughs. _It's nice to see him smile.._

Barret, who has had enough of being ganged up on begins to defend himself through shouting but is interrupted by Red, who like me, isn't faring well in this heat. We all agree to take a break but not stray too far and the group scatters, with Tifa and Aeris racing to the beach before I could ask them to help get me out of this contraption they had put me in. Red is the last to walk away, slowly hobbling to shade, leaving just me and Cloud. I look at him and smile, feeling slightly awkward being alone with him. In an attempt to break the uncomfortable silence, I take his sword from my back and hand it back to him.

"Thanks." He smiles, handing me a his new sword which has a purple, serrated blade which looks very sinister. "Let's go find somewhere for us all to sleep."

We walk away from the pier and into a rustic, sun drenched seaside town that makes me think of home.. Or at least what I remember of home..I follow him through the street's, nodding at Red who lay down in a shaded spot near a group of kids who where playing football in the sun. I watch as the youngest of the children miss aims her kick and the ball ends up hitting Cloud in the chest before my attention turns to the blonde. I watch his stoic face turn to a warm smile as he bounces the ball a few times before kicking it back to the children gently. Realizing quickly that I'm watching him, his wide smile shrinks and he puts on the tough guy act that he wants everyone to believe. I know it's only been a few days but I just can't figure him out. He's a Soldier.. Strong and powerful. A man that's suffered great loss and undoubtedly killed many men. But there's a warmth about him.. A gentleness even... _This heat is making me crazy.._ _I really don't feel so good.._

I continue following the blonde, who jogs up the steps to the hotel with an energy that has been taken out of me with the heat. He's already at the check in desk as I get to the stairs and he turns around with a key in his hand, expecting me to be there, only to watch me fall onto the steps in exhaustion. He rushes to my aid and picks me up as he realizes what's wrong when he touches me. Without a second's hesitation, he rushes me up the stairs and frantically searches for the right room. Eventually, Cloud opens the bedroom door and rushes straight into the bathroom and places me carefully in the bath tub. The room is a little shaded and a few degrees cooler, to which I'm grateful for but I have no idea what he's doing until a feel his hand hold the back of my neck to lean my head back and a freezing but welcome blast of water on my scalp.

My eyes remain closed as I lay in the empty bath tub, whilst Cloud uses the shower to cool me down. My real issue is with all of the fighting on the ship and the heat, the bandages Aeris wrapped around me had tightened and I was struggling to breath, but I waited a moment to say anything as I was enjoying the cold water running from my scalp and down my back.

"You okay?" He asks, as my eyes open.

"Yeah.. Thanks..." I smile. "Just struggling to breathe.. I need give your clothes back.."

"I'll.. er... Leave you in peace then.." The blonde blushes. "I'll be in the other room.."

I nod gratefully and take his damp clothes off, as well as my own jacket and top after he shuts the door behind him so I can inspect the mess I'm tangled up in. The bandages came off easy enough but I'm left with leather belts strapped around my chest with the buckles pressing on my spine. I try my best to wriggle my way out of them but after ten minutes of crashing around the bathroom I'm left with one option.

 **Cloud's POV**

"Cloud?.. I need your help.." I hear Lightning say awkwardly from the bathroom.

I stand up from leaning on the window ledge of the bedroom window and make my way to the bathroom door to find Lightning's head poking out of a small gap in the door. I send her a confused look to which she frowns at before talking again.

"I need your help- But if you laugh so much as once, I'll be the last thing you ever see.. Got it?" Light warns me.

"I promise." I say, suppressing a smile already, before I even know whats going on.

"Right then.." She says, turning her back to me and opening the door. "Undo those buckles."

I hear her request, but my mind is silenced as my eyes process the vision in front of me. My eyes start from the floor, tracing up past her boots and onto her slender legs before my sight of her bare skin is broken by a tight, brown leather skirt. My eyes continue to wander up her naked back until I see the problem and my mind reminds me of what I was asked. I step towards her and reach for the first buckle, undoing it and letting it fall to the floor. It leaves behind a red indent in her porcelain skin that will take a few hours to go, but it's the scars that catch my eye. Some large, but mostly small scars are spread across her back and all look to be old. I want to ask her about them but refrain from doing so and continue until all of the straps are off and I hear her breath a sigh of relief. I linger behind her for a moment, watching the water from her soaked hair drip down her spine and onto her bra strap, and the steam rise from her shoulders because of the heat.

"Hey, Cloud! Can I borrow some money to buy some... Woah! There's a door for a reason!" I hear Yuffie shout from behind me, causing me to turn.

"I was just helping her.." I explain.

"Course you were.." The young ninja mocks.

"Whatever... Did you want some money or not?" I ask, becoming impatient with her.

"Trying to buy my silence so the other two don't find out?" She continues to tease until I glare at her. "Gawd.. I was only messing.. Anyway, I swiped a map from the counter downstairs. I'm going to play!"

"I really don't like that kid.." I hear Lightning mutter, but I don't turn around.

"You get used to her... Eventually.. I'll leave you to it.." I say, now needing some time alone to think.

 **Lightning's POV**

I watch him leave the room and I'm left breathing heavier now than when I was struggling to breath at all. I replay the last few minutes over and over in my head as I put my clothes back on and rest his next to the window ledge to dry. I feel wrong, thinking about a man I've only known for a few days, even though he fascinates me. What about Tifa.. Or Aeris.. only a fool couldn't see that they both cared for him greatly.. I still feel his touch on my skin as I sit down on a small wicker chair in the living area of the room and survey the map, returning to my gloominess as I don't recognize a single place. After another ten minutes I decide it's best that I go and find the others so I head down stairs and follow the signs for the beach, until I find the three girls and Barret stood on the sandy shore under a parasol.

"I thought you were going swimming?" I ask, only to be shushed by the group. "What's everyone looking at?" I whisper.

"Look over there." Tifa points to a man in a labcoat, laying on a sun lounger, surrounded by women.

"Who's that? And why the hell is he wearing that in this hea-" I drop to my knee's as I feel electricity surge through my body and I see him.. The man in the lab coat standing over me with a sinister smile.

 _My name is professor Hojo my dear... And me and you are going to test a theory..._

 **A/N: Story is about to unfold a little more and Cloud and light have a little moment (if you could call it that) The battle was a little short for two reasons. One I wanted less emphasis on the battles and more on the character interaction and 2.. I had a go on my psp the other day and it didn't survive two turns. Two lots of beta and a blade beam followed by beta, Tifa's water kick and Shiva and down she went. Anyway.. if you could spare a minute, leave me a review and let me know what you think. Thanks for reading.**

 **Wolf**


	10. A Deceptive Departure

**Lightning's POV**

It's him.. The man who holds the answers to my past. The man that stood over me as my body burned with pain. It's true that I don't remember much of my past or what happened to me, but I know he is the cause of it all. I pull myself back up with the shaft of the parasol that shades us from the blazing sun as my blood boils with rage. Removing my sword from my back, I'm about to break into a run, when all four of my new friends grab me, in an attempt to stop me from killing the man.

"Stop! Light, Stop!" Tifa pleads as she tries to wrestle the serrated blade off me.

"It was him! He's the reason I don't remember! He did this to me!" I roar.

"The place is crawlin' with Shinra! You make a move on him and they'll gun yo ass down!" Barret explains as he sweeps my feet from under me and I hit the sand with all the grace of a brick.

Everyone is to busy trying to stop me from struggling to notice the extra shadow that is now stood over me. The mad scientist stands behind Tifa; who has finally yanked the sword from my hand, and looks down on me with a smug but calculating face.

"Well, what a surprise seeing you here.. But I guess after so long in a mako tank, one might need a holiday.." The scientist says with a smug tone, instantly drawing the attention of my previously oblivious friends.

"I swear, I will take your head for what you've done to me!" I threaten.

"And with me dead, how will you get answers? The not headed ones are never bright..." He sighs. "Tell me specimen.. Have you ever had the feeling something is calling you? Or that you had to visit some place?

"She has a name!" Aeris shouts in my defense.

"Hahaha! Let me guess.. Lightning? Merely a nickname.."

"Then what is my name!? Where am I from!? I scream, as he destroys another one of my beliefs.

"Oh, how tragic.. Doesn't even know her own name.."

"Leave her alone.." A deep voice I instantly recognize as Cloud's demands from behind.

"It's been a long time, Cloud.." The man says with a sinister smile.

"What do you want Hojo?" The blonde asks.

"I believe we're both after the same goal."

"Sephiroth.."

"Did you see him?" Hojo asks, earning a nod from Cloud. "I see... haha."

"What's so funny?" Our leader says flatly, as I see his patience fading.

"Nothing. I just remembered a certain hypothesis... Haven't you ever had the feeling something is calling you? Or that you had to visit some place?"

"I'll go wherever Sephiroth is, so I can end this mess."

"I see... This could be interesting... Were you in Soldier? Heh heh heh! Would you like to be my guinea pig?" Hojo mocks, pushing the blonde over the edge. And causing his hand to find the handle of the buster sword.

"Cloud! Don't!" Aeris warns, pulling Hojo's attention to her.

"Say, aren't you the ancient?"

"My name is Aeris! The least you could do is remember my name!" The flower girl shouts.

The evil professor begins to mumble about his tan and lets slip that Rufus was heading west, but after that his lips remained sealed as he returns to his spot and continues his vacation. I watch as the blonde's hand drop off the sword when he notices the sentries that are posted all around the resort and he is back to his stoic self, unlike me, who is ready to pull the smug scientist limb from limb.

"I want answers! Let me up!" I demand.

"Light.. I promise you that we'll get answers, but it won't be today.. There's too many soldiers around and there's kids here.. We can't afford to start a fire fight." Cloud explains softly as he offers me his hand, which I begrudgingly take.

"I have a right to know!" I bark, determined to have the last word before I storm back to the room.

 **Cloud's POV**

I pull her to her feet, satisfied that she wasn't going to get us all killed; but I can tell by her expression that she's less than impressed. She snatches her hand back, and I'm left to watch her march off the beach. Her frustrations are understandable, but I need to keep her safe.. I need to keep us all safe. I debate following her but I decide against it for now, and take the group to the bar for a much needed drink that served two purposes. To quench the thirst brought on by the blistering heat from the seaside resort and to keep up what little morale we have left.

"Sure is nice not to have moody around for a bit." Barret states as he takes a large gulp of cold beer.

"Barret!" Aeris scalds. "That's just mean!"

"Hey, maybe I should make some of these cocktails at the bar when I get back. What do you think?" Tifa questions the group.

I ignore the group's bickering as the rose haired woman in etched into my current thoughts. I want nothing more than to rush upstairs and tell her the answers to her many questions, but I have none.. The path I have chosen gives me a slim chance for survival, never mind success and I feel guilty in her persistence in following me to what may be an untimely death. As for her past.. Who knows.. She say's she's from another world; an artificial one that floats in the sky like our moon but part of me doubts her. Her exposure to mako was enough to kill most people and the ones that do survive are usually far to brain damaged to even form sentences. Am I to assume what she is saying is nothing more than a broken mind's stories?

"Cloud?.." Red says, noticing my mind racing. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah.. Just a little tired." I lie.

"Where are we going tomorrow?" Tifa asks.

"We're gonna head west.. The map that Yuffie got shows there's a mountain pass with a bridge. Looks like it's the only way to cross the river." I explain.

"Maybe we should get some rest then. I feel bad for leaving Light up in the room on her own." Aeris suggests.

"I'm sure Cloud will take real good care of her. He's already helped her get undressed." Yuffie mutters. I could see her face dying to mention what she thought she saw to the others, but even though I'm prepared for it, my face still burns red.

"What?" Tifa and Aeris say in unison, both turning their gaze to me.

"Ignore her.. All I did was unbuckle some straps that you two had forgotten to take off."

My answer doesn't seem to satisfy the two girls and now it's my turn to watch their minds race, as the warms smiles they wore throughout the evening had vanished. I send a dark glare at the trouble making ninja before standing up and leading the party back to our hotel room, where I find Lightning, curled up in bed, seemingly asleep. Informing the others that she was asleep, we all creep into the room as quietly as we can manage and I find my clothes folded neatly on the window ledge, now warm and dry. I take them and make my way into the bathroom, feeling great when I discard the Shinra uniform with my own. I look into the mirror to find my bright eyes staring back at me, only for the reflection to flicker to someone else.. Someone with black hair.. But no sooner had I saw it, had it gone again.

"What the hell was in that drink?.." I mumble to myself as I climb into bed.

I close my eyes, and for the first time all day, I'm met with silence. Enjoying the stillness of the room, I take in a deep breath, that's followed by a yawn and inhale a floral scent coming from my clothes. _Smells just like her..._

 **Lightning's POV**

After angrily marching back up to the room, I throw myself on the bed, still enraged that the man with all of the answers I need is allowed to mock me and leave without facing the consequences of his actions. Now I'm left with only a nickname and the vague memories that could all be a fabrication.. A dream that's both terrifying and wonderful at the same time. For now, my dreams were all I had, so I decide to get some sleep, not wanting to have to speak to the others when they finally returned.

" _Light! Light, it's me!"_

" _Serah!" I shout to my sister as she races towards me._

" _I've missed you soo much! We all have.."_

" _All have?" I frown?_

" _Everyone. Snow, Hope, Sazh, Vanille and Fang. Remember?"_

" _...Yes.. Yes.. I remember now.. Serah.. What's going on?"_

" _It's all an illusion.. You're still on Cocoon." Serah explains. "It's Orphan's doing."_

" _Fal'cie? How do I escape the illusion?"_

" _You need to get away from Cloud and the others.. It's all a trick.."_

" _But-" I begin, but the young pinkette is gone._

My eyes snap open and I sit up in bed, scanning the room for movement. I count the sleeping bodies, ensuring everyone was present before I remove the sheets slowly and slip out of bed. I take the sword that I left, propped up against the edge of my bed and go to walk out of the room. I catch the sleeping blonde in the corner of my eye as I pass his bed and pause. It pains me to believe that he is nothing more than an illusion, created to deceive me. To what end, I do not know; but I need to leave. Taking the money from my pocket, I place it on his bedside table, before taking a final look at the man I thought saved me from captivity and leaving.

It's still dark out. There's probably a few hours before sunrise, which should give me enough time to make good progress and get far enough in front to stop them catching up. If what Serah told me was true, Cloud is just another tool in Orphan's arsenal to deceive me, but the thought of never seeing him again still hurts. I snatch a map from the check in desk and curse myself for my new found weakness before heading off into the night.

The walk was pleasant and the breeze was refreshing, unlike during the day, making the miles easy. I managed to get half way up the mountain pass before the sun emerged from behind the horizon but my eyes kept checking behind, expecting to find blonde spikes racing after me. The mountain range has a river running through the middle of it, but it's joined together by a bridge, making it the only way to travel to the western part of the continent. I cross it, trying not to look down at the turbulent river that crashes, hundreds of feet below and head back down the other side of the mountain.

I consult the map once more, noting the nearest place on the map has a red ring around it with a note 'Quicksand desert'. Looks like the Goldsaucer is off limits.. Whatever the hell that is.. Corel village seems to be the only other option as another river and a mountain range divides up the rest of the continent. I'm now left with a question.. What do I do to get out of this illusion? Will time free me from my prison? Or do I have to reach somewhere to escape Orphan's clutches.

 **Cloud's POV**

"She's gone!" Tifa shouts down my ear as she shakes my violently.

"Wa.. huuh?" I mumble as I sit up in shock.

"Light isn't here!" Aeris confirms Tifa's words as I'm finally conscious enough to comprehend what she was saying.

"Red, can you track her?" I ask.

"I can try.. But why is it that you are so fixated in location her? Perhaps she no longer wanted to join us.."

"... She has our money.." I mutter an excuse.

"Actually, looks like she did the decent thing and left it." Barret says, pointing to my bedside table, leaving me to quickly think of another excuse.

"She knows to much about us.. We need to make sure she doesn't talk." I offer as my next reason.

"You wanna kill her?!" Barret shouts. "You Soldier guys are psychotic.."

"No you idiot. We just need to talk to her.." I answer bluntly.

Red sighs but says nothing as he leaves the room. He clearly sees through my reasoning, but does not expose my selfish desires to the rest of the group. It's a blessing and a curse to have someone like him around; a beast with the wisdom only earned by a few men, that could see right through even the most convincing liars but also offer the most useful of advice; making me believe he was quite old. We all follow him outside and watch as he surveys the sandy street, looking for tracks or a scent to follow. He picks up a trail quickly, but with the head start she's had, we'll be lucky to catch her in time.

 **A/N: Thanks for the reviews, I enjoy reading them and it helps me make decisions. I'm gonna increase the length of the boss battles as we progress through the story. Regarding this chapter.. I don't really wanna spoil anything but I want you to know I haven't done a ff10 "he was all a dream" story, but you'll find out soon enough. Any guess's as to what's going on? Leave a review and let me know what you think, and as always, thanks for reading.**


	11. The Sandy Prison

**Lightning's POV**

My legs are about to give way at any moment but I can't risk the others catching me up. I continue up what I hope to be the last mountain I ever see to find an old man taking shade under tree. I hear him say something to me as I pass but I don't respond. My mind is focused on putting one leg in front of the other. When I finally get to the summit I can't believe my eyes. A large metallic ramp leads to some form of power plant that I assume is one of Shinra's Mako reactors. Steam rises from the industrial structure and the smell reminds me of my time in captivity. On the other side of the reactor are train tracks that lead from the heart of the planet killing machine into the distance. As the only smooth and level path I see, my legs make the decision of following the tracks to civilization.

I follow the train tracks that ran high above the land below on wooden scaffolding. Much to my displeasure, the tracks don't stay flat for long, and I'm left climbing up rails they seem to suit a roller coaster more than a train. The tracks split, and I decide to take the high ground so I have a better vantage point. Just when I think things can't get any worse, the wooden sleeper beneath me snaps, and I fall through the tracks. I don't have time to panic, as my back smashes through two of the rotted beams and I reach out desperately for anything to stop my fall. Just before I reach a watery grave below, I manage to catch the edge of one of the less rotted beams but I feel the harsh deceleration pull my arm out of it's socket.

"Aagghh!" I growl, as I hold on.

I look down to find that I'm just past a raised bridge that breaks the tracks up, presumably keeping people from getting to the reactor without permission. Swinging backwards and forwards to build momentum, I finally let go with my dislocated arm and land on the tracks below with a thud. Stumbling to my feet, I stagger down the tracks that now run along side the mountain face and I stop to take a rest. My shoulder blade is in a bad way, and if I don't put it back soon, I might not be able to use my arm again, so biting down onto my gloves, I ram my shoulder into the rocky surface until I hear a pop.

"I think I'm gonna be sick.." I mumble to myself as I collapse in a heap.

Eventually, I muster the energy to continue, and before long I finally see the village called Corel. The miles ate away at my muscles and the deathly creatures that inhabit this region have all wanted a piece of my flesh. I've managed to defeat everything that's been thrown my way, including a pair of Shinra grunts I encountered just outside of Costa Del Sol, as my training slowly comes back to me, but even so, my heart is almost ready to give in. The village, that is situated at the base of the mountain region, north of the vast desert, is more dilapidated than I could have possibly imagined. There are very few permanent structures, and the ones that do stand, look like they're one bad storm away from crumbling. Instead, the majority of the village is constructed with tents that run on either side of the rusty railway track that comes to a stop half way into the village.

Everyone here is dirty; living a life that I would not wish upon anyone, but they all have smiles on their faces, especially the children, who probably know no better. The chances of finding somewhere to stay and a hot meal seems slim at this point and becomes non existent when I remember I gave the blonde his money back and the only thing in my pocket was fifteen gil that I looted from the guards. Across the village, I see what looks like an old stone well, so with my remaining strength, I stagger over to it and look into it's depths. At first my eyes light up at the sight of a faint green shimmer, that I wrongfully assume is water, but I soon come to realize it isn't.

"Excuse me, lady.." A young voice mumbles as I feel something poking me in the arm.

I pull my head from the dried up well to find a young boy with scruffy brunette hair, holding a chipped mug that contained what looked to be water.

"You're not one of those Shinra guys, are ya?.. I mean girls.." He asks, blushing as he corrects himself.

I shake my head and give him a faint smile as the boy hands over the mug. I sniff it as I touch the chipped mug to my lips, still remembering that if this really is an illusion then anything and everything could be trying to kill me. When all seems well, I take a sip, confirming that it's just water and down the lot gratefully. I hand the cup back to the boy and take his free hand while I search my pocket for the tiny amount of gil I had left. When I locate it, I place it in the boy's hand and he looks at me in disbelief. On my world, fifteen gil couldn't buy you a loaf of bread, but the boy looks like he's won the lottery.

"Th-Thankyou, Lady!" He stutters.

"Lady is what you call old people." I playfully scald. "-Hey.. What's that?" I ask pointing to a shiny metallic blue object on the far west edge of town.

"Oh that.. That's the ropeway station. There's a tram that takes people to the Goldsaucer." The boy explains.

"What exactly is the Goldsaucer?" I ask, deciding if I should go or not.

"You don't know?! It's amazing!... Or at least that's what I heard..." He says. "There's arcades, a haunted hotel, gondola rides, a theme park and chocobo races! They even have the rare chocobo's that can run over mountains and over rivers!"

My mind processes everything the excitable child tells me and something utterly ridiculous jumps into my head. _Maybe I could steal one of those chocobo's to get to the next place..._ The boy looks at me funny as he sees me smiling to myself, but says nothing.

"What's your name?" I ask the boy, who's watching my curiously.

"I'm Matt."

"Well, thanks for the water, Matt." I say politely before leaving.

I reach the metallic tram that is attached to two, thick overhead cables that go all the way to a monstrous, golden structure that looks like a mushroom. My legs are still ready to stop, so I rest on the platform as I I look into the tram, finding it completely empty. Curiosity takes control over my tiredness and I walk over to the open door on the side and step inside. As soon as my hand grabs one of the metal poles that are dotted around the tram, the doors shut and the propeller engines fire up, pulling the car along the lines.

The view is breathtaking. There's a constant stream of multi coloured fireworks being launched from each of the mushroom shaped platforms that look like they're made of gold. I must still be about a mile away, but I hear the excited screams of children, riding the roller coaster that spirals around the massive structure like ivy. Chocobo's in colours that I've never seen before, race around bright track with themed sections and as I get near the station the lively music becomes louder. Eventually, the tram stops at the station, which must be the brightest and most colourful thing that I've ever seen. I leave the tram and walk over to a woman in a black and pink uniform that stands at the entrance to the attractions.

Just as I get a few steps from the woman, several large explosions and flashing lights make me reach for my sword as a sign with the number 1000 is illuminated brightly over the entrance. Although I initially flinch, I quickly realize that I'm not in danger as confetti rains down over me in a flood of colour.

"Congratulations! You're the thousandth visitor today!" The attendant beams.

"...Right..."

"It means you get a free, lifetime ticket to the Goldsaucer as well as 1000gp!"

"So I can go in for free?" I ask, still lacking the enthusiasm the woman was expecting.

"Yep! Here you go!" She smiles, handing over a golden card. "The card is your pass but it also works like a credit card that holds your GP. Have a great adventure!"

"...Right..."

I pass the woman and enter a yellow room with a large screen on one wall that served as a map. Along the walls were holes that had pictures below them, signaling where they went too. I find the one with a picture of the Chocobo and look down the shaft, realizing it was a huge slide that lead to the platform of your choice.

"You've gotta be kidding me..." I mumble to myself. "Screw it.." I huff before throwing myself down the hole.

The slide picked up speed and I was falling at an alarming rate before it finally leveled out and I glided gently to a stop, several hundred meters further down the tube. I stand up, shocked that people did this for fun and walked out of the tunnel to be met with a wide set of steps that was lined with other tunnels that poured out giggling families that were having much more fun than I was. I head up the brightly lit stairs and into the large building that had a huge neon Chocobo sign above the entrance, telling me that I was at least where I needed to be.

The noise inside the room was unbelievable. Hoards of people watched the racing on the screens with betting slips held tightly in their hand. When the race ended the room was filled with a monstrous sigh with the occasional scream of delight as somebody's chocobo had won the race. I walk through the crowd and listen carefully for anything that could be of some use.

"The water section is long in this race so I'm gonna pick the blue one. If they can cross rivers then it should do well here." One man says to his friend.

"Bingo..." I mutter to myself as I make my way to the ranking board that told me what chocobos and jockeys where racing and at what time. _The one I need is about to race.. If I wait till it's finished it should be tired enough for me to borrow him_..

I watch the race on the screen, not interested in who was going to win. All I cared about was the race being over and the Chocobo being left in the stables unattended. When the race is almost over, I walk around the room until I find a small door that was labeled 'Jockeys only' with a rather angry looking security guard stood in front of it. Quickly finding a solution to my problem, I push my way back through the crowd and find a fire alarm on the wall. Keeping my eyes peeled for onlookers, I hit the thin glass cover with my elbow, shattering it and setting off the alarm. What I hadn't anticipated was the sprinkler system activating too.

Water poured down from the sprinklers above as I walked around the betting desk undetected by the guard, who was ushering everyone outside for their safety. I quickly sneak into the previously guarded door and close it behind me silently, feeling a wicked sense of accomplishment. _Easy..._

Walking down the long corridor that is dimly lit and I can already hear the warble of the Chocobos in the distance. Grinning to myself at just how close I was, I pick up the pace until I reach a line of stables. I peer into each one quietly finding nothing but pink and purple ones at first but the second to last stable contained just what I need. A blue Chocobo. My hand hovers over the latch as my conscience briefly gets the better of me, but accepting this illusionary world is one created by my enemy, my guilt passes quickly and my fingers wrap around the latch. That's when my luck runs out and my world goes black.

"Dio, I caught this one in the Chocobo stables, trying to steal one. I've reviewed cctv footage, she set the fire alarm off too.."

"Looks like she's earned herself a one way trip to heaven."

I slowly open my eyes at the sound of their voices to find a sight that I sadly don't think I'll ever forget. A muscular man with a ridiculous mustache stood before me wearing nothing but a pair of bright orange shorts that was clearly two sizes to small for him. In his hand was my sword and to his side was the security guard that I thought I'd managed to evade. I try to move but something cold and metallic has a tight grip on me.

"That's mine.." I mutter defiantly.

"Ahh she's awake.. Don't worry, I'm going to give you this back.. You'll need it where you're going."

"And where might that be?"I ask.

The man says nothing but turns to a heavy duty lever on the wall and pulls it down. I hear something in front of me whine open and I strain my neck to watch a metal manhole cover slide into the floor. The grimy floor surrounding the hole reads 'Gateway to Heaven' which I am guessing is the muscle man's sick sense of humor showing. Then it dawns on me. The Goldsaucer is built in the center of an inescapable desert. I watch the man drop my weapon into the hole as the robotic binding drags me to the edge. Closing my eyes, I wait for the plunge and for the second time, I'm questioning my choices.

 **Cloud's POV**

I'm keeping good pace behind Red, who's doing a great job at tracking the rose haired woman but the others are falling behind.

"Hey..Cloud.." Barret says sheepishly from behind. "Why don't we just try to cross the river? It'll be quicker."

"And more dangerous.." I explain, looking into his eyes to try to ready his reluctance.

"But-"

"Is there some reason you don't wanna go north?" I question.

He say's nothing but I can see in his eyes that he's hesitant. We continue anyway, and all take a rest where an old man I sat, just before the summit.

"You alright?" I ask.

"Hey! You're actually talking to me." He says in shock.

"Hmm? What is it?"

"A guy in a black cape past this morning and a young lady with strange pink hair passed about two hours ago.. I tried to tell they that it was dangerous up ahead, and they ignored me!" The old man explains.

"Sephiroth.. And Light.." I mutter to myself. "Thanks.. We'll be careful." I add before continuing on.

At the peak of the mountain I'm able to see some thing below that I wasn't expecting. A mako reactor. Shinra must have forbidden it to be printed on any maps to stop it from being attacked and I'm left wondering If we should find a way to destroy it. Barret on the other hand continues walking, trying his damnedest not to look at the massive structure as he passes it. We continue on with Red in the lead until we come to a break in the train tracks that looks fresh.

"The scent ends here.." Red says, looking down on the rotten beams.

"You don't think?.." Aeris begins. Starting the sentence that I'm asking myself in my head.

"All I can tell you is that she did not continue down this track.."

I look down through the splintered hole in the track and notice yet more damaged beams, as the image of her falling to her death plays over and over in my head. Refusing to accept something that I see no other logical explanation for, I take the lead in silence, as none of them want to talk about it. _Good.. Talking about it makes it true..._

We continue on, until we come across a small hut with a control lever inside. Curiosity makes me pull it, and the mechanical whine in the distance has me darting back outside.. That and my claustrophobia.. I watch a drawbridge below the tracks I've just walked on lower, so we head back the way we came and take the lower track to continue progressing. The breeze lower down fills my nose with Light's scent, that still lingers on my clothing. At first I think Red smells it on me too but to my relief, it's not me.

"I have picked up the scent again.." He says, sniffing the rock face that the tracks travel around. "... There's also blood on the wall.."

"Blood?.." I ask, fearing the worst.

"Only a tiny amount.. I does not seem like a substantial injury.." Red reassures.

I turn back to the tracks and am about to set off, when I realize someone is missing. The Avalanche leader is way in front, and must not have stopped with the rest of us. The rest of the group share my concerned look for the man that's been acting strange all morning, so we all dash off after him.

"Well, lookey here! Never thought I'd see your face again." I hear a man shout at him as we finally catch up to him as we stand in somewhere that looks even worse than the slums.

"Those people over there, they with you?" Another asks him, pointing in our direction. "Well I feel sorry for 'em! Hangin' around a walkin' death sentence like Barret!"

"You got a lot of nerve comin' back here! Look at this place! It's all your fault that North Corel turned into a garbage heap!"

We all watch and wait for the man mountain to explode with rage, but it never comes. Instead, Barret bows his head in shame and apologizes to the men

"You ain't even worth the effort.. Don't waste your time talking to that techno-freak." The man says finally, before walking away.

"You heard 'em... It's all my fault this town was... Destroyed.." Barret says as his voice begins to crack before walking away.

We all follow, not sure exactly what was going on, but it didn't sound good. He ends up stood on the ropeway station platform that leads to the Goldsaucer, resting his head against it's metallic shell. I'm about to ask him whats wrong but am beaten to it by Aeris, who probably has more chance of getting through to him than I do.

"Barret, What's wrong?" She asks. Her voice couldn't have sounded more sincere if she tried.

"My hometown used to be around here..." He starts.

"What do you mean 'used to'." Red asks.

"Ain't here no more... Heard it got buried.. In just four years.."

"But how could those people say such terrible things?" Aeris asks, unable to see any blame on Barret.

Barret goes on to tell us about his hometown, Corel, and how it used to be a coal mining town. The way he described it didn't make it sound appealing, but you could tell by the glint in his eye that it was important to him. He told us about Shinra's visit to the town, and the plans to build A mako reactor. More than likely the one that we past not long ago; and how his friend was against it but Barret and the others talked him around, expecting Shinra to make good on their promise of living more comfortable lives. Barret went on to tell us how Shinra soldiers burnt down the entire town.

"Shinra troops?! What for?!" I shout angrily.

"There was an explosion in the reactor.. They blamed the people of the village.."

"That's so terrible.." Tifa sighs, shocked that Barret had never told her any of this before.

 _Anyone wishing to ride the ropeway, please board now!_

"Come on.." I say to Barret, patting him on the shoulder as we board the blue carriage.

 **A/N: Gonna leave that there for now. Lightning and Chocobo's really don't go together.. Next chapter is going to be a longer one, with a little bit of everything in it. Lot's of fun, fighting and drama. Thanks for my two lovely reviews, you're too kind to me sometimes. My super guest reviewer is on form as usual and is guessing everything right. I Love Nanaki too. I can't wait till I can stop calling him Red in this Fic lol. There's gonna be 2 fights in the next chapter, I hope. One is going to be part of the OG story and the other a twist on the events shortly after. Thanks again for the reviews and the PM's. Keep them coming, And as always.. Thanks for reading.**


	12. Dyne's Showdown

**Cloud's POV**

I pay the woman at the ticket booth and we all step inside the colourful dome that looks like it's lead thousands of people to a day of fun. The only reason I'm up here is because Red still has the scent of Lightning, and insists she has come up here; although without money, I don't see how. Barret is looking less than impressed, as he faces the wall to avoid all eye contact with us, but Aeris is having none of it.

"Wow! Let's have fun!" Aeris cheers. "I know this isn't the right time to do this..But cheer up!"

"...I ain't in a cheery mood. So jus' leave me alone..." Barret mutters angrily.

"Really? That's too bad." Aeris continues to annoy. Now poking her head around his wide arms to look at him. "Let's go." She say's to me on her return to the center of the room.

I hear Tifa whisper something to her friend but I don't know what exactly. After conferring in near silence, Aeris returns to Barret to tell him that they were going to go play, and this time Barret snaps.

"So PLAY!.. Mess around all you want! Don't forget we're after Sephiroth!" He shouts before storming off down one of the passages.

"...I think he's mad." Aeris grins.

My lips twitch into a smile but my focus returns quickly and I count the slide entrances. She could be down any of these slides.. Then again, she might not be down here at all. I walk over to one of the holes to the left and peer into the darkness, when Tifa's shadow blocks out what little light was left. I look up to find her looking at me with a concerned smile. She didn't say it, but I knew that she knew what was on my mind.

"Shall we have a look around?" She asks, taking the need for me to make up an excuse.

"Yeah, let's go together." I smile, as I sit on the edge of the hole labeled 'Special Square'.

The two of us take the stomach churning ride down to the next level and exit the dimly lit tunnel to find a hairy chested muscle man approach us with a smug grin. I can't help but laugh at Tifa, who notices the mans tiny shorts and averts her crimson eyes in disgust as the man stops at our feet.

"Hey, boy." He says with a cocky tone.

"Boy..."

"How is it? You having fun?" He asks to which I nod out of politeness. "Mmm, so you are having fun. Well, good, good for you boy."

"My name's Cloud.. And stop calling me boy.." I fire back, trying not to let his arrogance get to me.

"hmm.. The name's Dio. I'm the owner of the Goldsaucer! You can call me Dio, boy."

I turn away, as I feel my fist subconsciously clench, but the soft touch of Tifa's fingers around my arm relaxes me once again. We begin to walk away when the arrogant muscle man asks me what black materia is. I shake my head, hoping that he would tell me what it was but he is no wiser than I am on the subject. He went on to tell me that someone my age was looking for it and was wearing a black cape with the number '1' tattooed to his hand.

"Where did he go?!" I shout.

"hahahaha, I have no idea." Dio laughs, not realizing just how important this is. "Well then.. I say, stop by the battle arena if you like, boy. You'll probably like it. Many of my collections are displayed there." He adds, before walking down the tunnel we exited.

Letting out an annoyed sigh, I look to the rows of tunnels that where labeled with colourful neon signs and see the battle square, but I have no desire to see a rich man's trinkets. I turn to Tifa; who has finally removed her eyes from the ceiling and look at her for suggestions. At this point, there would be no harm in following her lead as we have nothing solid to go on. She eventually points to the tunnel labeled 'Wonder' and we walk inside and follow it until we get to a large open space, with a crimson floor and benches scattered around it's edges.

"Hey, you! What are you lookin' so down for!?" I hear somebody ask with an unnecessarily happy tone.

I look around, to find what I first thought was part of the arcade walk towards us. A giant, stuffed mog with a cat on it's back waddles towards us, causing Tifa to look at me with confusion.

"How 'bout it? Want me to read your fortune?! A bright future! A happy future!" It babbles. "Oh, but don't hold it against me if it doesn't come true. I'm a fortune telling machine. My name is Cait sith."

"Can you only read the future?" I ask, unsure why I'm wasting my time with this.. thing.

"You kidding? I can find missing things. Missing people. Anything!"

"Then can you tell me where a man named Sephiroth is?" I ask, determined to out the stupid machine as nothing more than a scam.

"Sephiroth, right! Ok, here goes!" It says as it begins to dance, before pulling out a small piece of paper and handing it to me.

"Ordinary luck.. It will be an active fortune.. Give into the good will of others, and something big'll happen after summer.." I read before throwing the paper on the floor.

"Huh? Let me try again." He says, beginning his dance again and handing me another card.

"Be careful of forgetfulness.. Your favorite colour is.. blue.. Forget it.." I sigh, feeling stupid for thinking it was actually going to answer my question.

"Wait, Wait! Give me one more chance! Wait! Let me try it again!" It pleads.

I look at Tifa, who gives me the look that tells me to humor the machine so I do and it eventually hands over another card after a prolonged dance.

"What the?" I mumble after reading the card in my head, not wanting to waste my breath for a third time.

"What?" Tifa eyes me, curiously.

"What you pursue will be yours. But you will loose something dear." I read.

"I don't know if that's good or bad... This's the first time I've ever had something like this.." Cait Sith ponders. "Well, shall we?"

"What are you talking about?" Tifa asks.

"Being a fortune teller, this is gonna bug me. So I'm going with you!" The animated machine commands.

"What shall we do, Cloud?" The brunette asks, thinking that I was ever going to consider it.

"I'm coming with you no matter WHAT you say!" It shouts.

I don't even respond with an answer, but instead turn to walk away. It begins to follow us as I decide to take the side down to the battle square, in the hopes that the stuffed toy wouldn't follow. I jump down first, with Tifa right behind me, but I also hear the stupid fortune telling machine's voice as I stand up at the bottom of the slide. I feel Tifa poke me on the shoulder to get me to do something about our stalker, but my eyes are drawn to a Shinra guard that had just took the final step of a large flight of stairs. _Something's wrong.._

I was right, something was wrong. Very wrong. The soldier drops to his knees before falling face first into the metallic tiled floor as a pool of crimson forms beneath him. I rush over to the downed guard and confirm that he was dead before telling Tifa.

"Dead..."

"What?! Why?!" She asks in shock.

I say nothing. My mind is racing from all the possibilities behind the soldier's death. Could it be Sephiroth, or maybe Lightning? She could be in trouble, and that's what my mind focuses on as I sprint up the stairs, still without answering my best friend. I get to the top and first notice a royal purple carpet that runs from the entrance of the room, up to an exit up a small set of stairs on top of a checkerboard style marble floor. Above the exit is a large skull with the word 'Challenger' underneath in huge letters. Guards litter the ground, all dying it with their blood as I begin to take in the whole scene.

"Did Sephiroth do this?" I mutter to myself as I walk over to the nearest guard. "...No.. they're all shot.. Sephiroth would never use a gun."

I hear a faint groan in the corner, and quickly spot an injured receptionist that was hanging over her desk in pain. We all rush over, to find she too had been shot, but the bullet only seemed to hit her shoulder, missing anything vital.

"Hey, what happened?!" I ask.

"Ugh...a man... Urrr.. With a gun... On his... Agh.. Arm.." She stutters.

"It can't be!?" Tifa shouts, thinking the same worrying thought as me.

"Hold it right there! Stay quiet!" I hear a familiar voice shout from behind us.

Dio, the owner of the Gold Saucer approaches us with two guards, that have their guns trained on us, ready to fire.

"Did you guys do this?" He questions.

"N..No! It wasn't us!" I explain.

"I must've been wrong.." Dio mutters to himself, seemingly accepting our innocence.

"Hurry and run! It's gonna get ugly!" Cait Sith shouts, before darting up the stairs.

Tifa follows him before I can stop her so I'm forced to follow the stupid machine into an unknown room which I realize almost instantly, was a dead end. I look around the stone platform that was surrounded by water and a high wall, meaning we weren't getting out of this one.

"That's as far as you go.." Dio says calmly, as he steps through the entrance.

"Wait, listen to.." I begin but the theme park owner snaps his fingers and summons three robots that leap from the high walls and slowly advance on the three of us.

 **Lightning's POV**

" _Wake up Light. Don't give in.. The Blonde man is Orphan, and he's coming for you."_

"Serah.."

I feel myself being dragged across the dirt by my ankle. The sun is blazing above, making it all the more difficult to open my eyes; but when it finally dawns on me what's just happened, I force my eyes open. Rusted pipes are the first thing that meets my straining eyes, as well as burnt out cars and other pieces of scrap. I quickly realize I'm unarmed as my senses return, but I need to free myself quickly. I look at the man who has me by the ankle and then into the distance where I'm being dragged. A dilapidated house is only a few yards away, so I begin to articulate my hands, to get the feeling back into them, ready to fight. The twisted man laughs to himself as I'm pulled through a door and a cross a floor that was covered in broken glass and furniture. My foot is dropped onto the ground, but what I hear next sends a shiver down my spine as I truly realize the situation that I'm in.

"Been a long time since we 'ad a woman down 'ere. Don't worry.. I'll be gentle.." He whispers as I watch him undo his zipper.

My eyes widen as I quickly bring my leg up and stamp on his shin, dropping him on top of me. His hands clamp around my throat and begin to squeeze the life out of me as I hammer my fists against his shoulder with little success. I feel my body giving in, as my hand frantically searches the littered floor for anything I could use as a weapon. Just before my vision blurs, my fingers slide over a shard of glass that I grip tightly and drive into the man's shoulder. He releases his grip off me and falls to the ground at my side as I try to get up to my feet. Using a moldy sofa as support, I stand, only to find my attacker's hand strike me across the face, making me stumble into the nearest wall. The enraged man's fist slams into my stomach, winding me as I go down once more.

Amongst the rubble I find an old chair leg with a rusted nail still stuck in the end of it and I grab it just before I'm dragged back up to my feet for another beating. As expected, the man throws a punch but this time I duck under it and step to the side, before smashing the chair leg over the back of his head so hard it broke the last two inches of wood off as he fell to the ground. I notice the piece of wood with the nail in it was still stuck to his head as he lay motionless on the ground, but I couldn't stop. I kneel over him and bludgeon his skull with the makeshift bat, until I'm to weak to lift my arm up anymore.

"Just kill me already!" I scream to the heavens, hoping Orphan could hear me.

I'd been beaten. I'd had enough of it all now.. All I want is for Orphan to kill me so I can end this nightmare. I'm trapped in this imaginary world that is filled full of evil with no clear way to escape and I give in.. Rare tears stream down my face as it all becomes too much and I go to wipe my eyes to find my hand had been badly cut from gripping the glass shard so tightly.

After ten minutes, I've calmed myself down enough to return to my usual calculated self and I search the room for anything of use. I pick up a piece of broken mirror and look at my reflection, feeling sick when I do. My anger driven pummeling of the man had covered my face and most of my white jacket in his blood, and my body still ached from the fight. I take the Cure materia from my pocket; thankful it was still there, and heal my cut palm as I continue to survey the room until something catches my eye.

"That's Barret.." I say to myself in shock when I spot an old photography that sat in a broken frame.

I pick it up and examine it closely. It was definitely him, but much younger, with his arm over another man with pale skin and dark hair. Flies begin to father around the dead man and I know I need to get out of here. The only problem is, I have no idea where I am. Walking over to the door, I open it slowly before creeping outside. Nobody is in sight but something I'm glad to see is.. Shining with a deep purple, my serrated sword is stuck in the ground, waiting for me to reclaim it.

With my sword back in my hands, I walk the wasteland in search of a way out, and quickly realize where I am. Looking up, I see the huge cluster of golden domes that is the Gold Saucer above, meaning I'm in the middle of a massive quicksand desert. An area I've already accepted as being inescapable. I continue to explore, passing the occasional man with nervousness, but my bloodstained face and huge sword causes them all to drop their gaze and walk away as I proceed. Just in the distance is a large truck with the Shinra logo on it, and unlike the rest of the scrap around here, this still shines in the sun.

I walk around to the truck's trailer and step inside, grateful for the relief the shade brings and find a dark skinned man that wore a tacky, green velvet suit and a thick gold chain. He stands up from the crate he was perched on and looks me up and down before casually strolling to the other side of the room. I quickly realize what he's doing and my sword blacks his path in an instant.

"Don't even think about it.." I warn as his hand stretches for a pistol that sat on the shelf, less than a foot away.

"Guy's gotta protect himself." He shrugs.

"Who are you?" I question.

"Name's Coates. Mr. Coates to you." He answers.

"Do you know how to get out of here?"

"Of course! All you gotta do is win a Chocobo race." He replies.

"And you're the organizer?" _Why does all of my misery revolve around Chocobos..._

"I am indeed.. But you gonna have to speak to my boss, Dyne if you wanna race."

"And where might I find this, Dyne?"

"Dunno.. But if you live after finding him, come see me." He replies.

I leave the makeshift office and look around in all directions. The few men that are scattered around the area all vanish at the sight of me, so I assume they found the body. For no reason in particular, I head north, past more burnt out houses and mangled pipes. A large hole was dug into the ground and my first thoughts are water. Thinking it could be a well, I rush over, only to find the skeletal remains of a large dog, wrapped around an empty chest at the bottom of the ladder.

"Looks like whoever wanted that treasure waited for the dog to starve to death.." I say to myself as I realize just how hostile this place is.

At the edge of the makeshift prison is a small fence that seems to serve no purpose whatsoever as the sand seems to go on forever, stopping any chance of escape. My eyes follow the fence until I spot a body, laying face down in the sand. I rush over to find the man had been shot several times in the chest and left to bleed out in the heat. Footprints lead through the fence and across to a dense scrapheap, which would make a perfect place to hide. I take a firm grip on my sword and hold it out in front of me as I progress through the crashed cars and broken pieces of machinery. My eyes scan every corner as I make my way down the narrow, sandy paths that snake between the wrecks as the trail begins to climb steadily.

Within a few minutes, I come across the walls of a house that stands on the edge of a dusty canyon. To it's left are two crude grave markers made out of wood. One large and one small. As I walk over to the edge, I hear the sound of a gun being cocked behind me and I swivel around just in time to put my sword between myself and the bullet that's fired without warning. The man looks both shocked and impressed that I hadn't died and smiles at me like he'd just found a long lost friend.

"Are you going to be the one that put's me out of my misery?" He asks with an accent similar to Barret.

"All I want is a way out of here.. I take it you're Dyne?"

"I am indeed.. Only my word or this necklace will get you your freedom, and I don't feel like talking much.." He says, raising a silver necklace off his chest to show me.

"Then in that case I guess I am here to put you out of your misery.." I answer.

He fires the gun that mounted to his arm like Barret, barely missing me as I dive out of the way, behind the crumbling wall. There was no way I could get close to him without getting shot so I think carefully about my next move. I hear his heavy boots pace in the sand, getting closer and closer when I notice a rack of pistols and rifles on the wall in the corner. The only problem is it's on the other side of the empty door frame and there's no way I could make it without taking a bullet.

"Only a fool brings a sword to a gunfight.." Dyne shouts as he takes random shots at the wall, sending shards of brick bouncing into the roofless building.

I duck lower behind the wall and notice the shadows are all to the east, meaning his shadow would betray him. Grabbing a handful of dusty sand, I wait until I see his shadow in the doorway and launch a cloud of sand in his face, blinding him long enough to take a pistol from the rack and leap back over the wall. Dyne fires blindly in all directions as I figure out the gun's workings, figuring it out quickly and loading a round into the chamber. Far more accurate shots come my way, and I manage to get the purple blade's wide face in front of my body to stop them just in time. Using my sword as a shield, I fire at the man, and eventually hit him in the leg, making him retreat behind the wall once again. I duck behind my sword again and remove the pistol's magazine to find two bullets left and one in the chamber. Better make them count..

 **Cloud's POV**

After walking the desert prison, we find Barret inside a derelict house that he explains was once his. I'm still unsure what's going on, so Barret agrees to explain his story, but before he begins, Yuffie bursts through the door, followed by Aeris and Red.

"We came as soon as we heard about you getting thrown down here." Aeris heaves as she takes a breath after running in the heat.

"I didn't want non of ya to get involved..." Barret sighs.

"Hey, that's Cloud's line! It's to dangerous... Can't get you involved... Blah, blah.." Aeris teases me.

"Yeah, we're already involved in all this.." Tifa agrees.

"I heard that the murders at the battle arena where by a man with a gun arm.. Was that you?" Red asks.

"There's another... Another man that got a gun grafted onto one of his arms... It was four years ago..."

We all listen intently as Barret retells the destruction of his town at the hands of Shinra and tells us about his friend Dyne who was traveling with him as the left town for the day. He tells us how they ran back at the sight of their burning town but a squad of Shinra infantrymen accompanied by Scarlet, ambushed them, ending in Dyne holding on to his hand for dear life as he took a bullet and slipped over the edge of the canyon.

"I tried to pull him up but they kept firing... A bullet hit our hands.. I watched as he fell to his death... or so I thought.." He explains. "I was so depressed for a while... But then I threw away my artificial arm and got this gun grafted in.. The doctor who performed the surgery told me he had recently done the same procedure to another man but on his left arm."

"Dyne was deceived by Shinra too.. Maybe he'll join us." Tifa says, trying to find a silver lining in the situation.

"I doubt it.. I need to talk to him.. Alone.."

"Do whatever you want... Is that what you want to hear?" I ask. "Well I can't let you do it. We need your help to save the planet."

"Barret, this isn't the end." Aeris adds, giving him a warm smile.

"Barret.. Me and Tifa will come with you.. Everyone else wait here.." I instruct, not taking no for an answer.

He sighs, knowing I'm not going to give in and heads outside with me and Tifa following behind closely. He leads us past the outer edge of the prison and into a scrapheap that's piled high with old Shinra cars and trucks, as well as the waste from the amusement park above. As we make our way through the maze of mangled metal, we hear gunshots ringing in the distance so the three of us break into a sprint. I push Tifa to the ground as I see the barrel of a gun poke out from behind a crumbling brick wall. When I pick my head up from the sand, I can't believe me eyes. It's Lightning.

"Lightning!" I shout as I notice her hiding behind her sword as she slams a magazine into a pistol.

The man behind the wall steps out as he notices Barret and seemingly forgets about Lightning, who is now stood up and taking aim at the man.

"Stop!" Barret shouts, pointing his gun at Lightning.

"What are you doing?!" I roar as Barret, getting between his gun arm and the pinkette.

"I want out of this sandpit! My way out is around his neck!" Lightning spits back.

"Now there's a voice I haven't heard in years..." Dyne mutters. "A voice I'll never forget.."

I see my chance and rush over to Lightning who still has the gun aimed at the man's head. Standing in front of the barrel of her gun, I cup my hands around hers and feel her relax instantly, much to my relief. She takes her sword from the ground and tucks the pistol in the waistline of her skirt and begrudgingly follows me back to Tifa as Barret and Dyne talk with each other.

"I thought you was going to shoot me for a second.." I tell the pinkette.

"There's still time yet.." She fires back, but I detect the faintest hint of a smile on her face.

"I always hoped I'd be able to see you again someday..." Barret says to the man. "I knew you'd be alive somewhere.. Listen, Dyne. I want to.."

Dyne raises his gun arm and fires a shot at Barret, grazing his shoulder and stopping his advance.

"I can here her voice.. What's that?"

"hmm?" Barret sounds, not bothered by the fact he was shot at.

"It's Eleanor's voice. Begging me not to hate your rotten guts.. Thats why I never hunted you down." 

"... I know I was stupid.. I'm not asking you to forgive me.." Barret bows his head. "But.. What are you doin' in a place like this? Why you wanna kill people who ain't involved? Why?"

"Why!? The dell do you care?!" Dyne spits back. "You think the dead understand why's? Is hearin' Shinra's excuses gonna make people in Corel understand anything? I don't care about reasons! All they gave us was artillery and excuses... What's left is a world of despair and emptiness..."

Barret just looks on at his old friend, speechless. I feel the tension building and I think Light does too as I notice her hand hovering over the pistol grip.

"You still want to hear 'Why'? …. Alright, I'll tell you.." He starts as he takes a few steps away from Barret and fires a shot into the rubble in the distance. "'Cause I want to destroy everything... The people in this city.." Dyne walks back over to the broken home and takes aim at the wall, releasing another shot into the brickwork. "The city itself... The whole world" He finally shouts, taking aim at Barret.

I look at Tifa, who rolls a fire materia in her fingers, ready to take action as I prepare to draw my sword. I'm not sure what's going to come of this conversation, but I have a feeling it will end with one of them dead.

"I've got nothing left in this world... Corel, Eleanor, Marlene..."

"Dyne, Marlene... Marlene's still alive..." Barret replies, instantly drawing the attention of Dyne. "I went back into town.. I thought she was gone for sure.. She's in Midgar. Let's go see her together."

"So... She's still alive.." Dyne says in disbelief. "Alright, Barret. Then I guess you and me gotta fight."

"What!?"

"Eleanor's all by herself... I need to take Marlene to her."

"Dyne! Are you crazy!" Barret roars.

"Marlene want's to see her Mom don't she?" Dyne asks as he begins to shoot at Barret, who used his gun as a shield.

Suddenly, everything became clear. Marlene was Dyne's daughter. So after the accident were Barret thought his friend had died, he found his daughter and raised her as his own. I guess that explains a few things.. The three of us process the information as a shot rings out sending us diving for cover.

"Barret!" I shout as I draw my sword.

"Cloud, you stay the hell outta it! This is my problem!" He shouts back.

I growl at his stubbornness but don't interfere. Tifa looks at me, silently suggesting with her crimson eyes that we should help him, but I shake my head. We keep our heads down, at least for now. I look back over to Light but she's just sat behind her blade, looking down at the pistol in her hands, oblivious to the bullets that are ricocheting off her sword.

 **Lightning's POV**

My hand's are shaking as I look down at the gun I'm gripping tightly. I have three bullets left.. The man Serah says is Orphan is a few feet from me, taking cover behind his sword. I could kill him right now, but would that end this illusion? Or would I be trapped in this sandpit forever? I take my eyes of my newly acquired weapon, and look at the blonde, in the hope I can somehow spot the evil within him, to make my choice easier, but I can't.. All I see is a man who would do anything to be between Dyne's gun and Barret; a man he argues with almost constantly. I'm starting to get angry with myself over my indecisiveness and even consider swallowing the bullet myself. If this truly is a dream world, death is a guaranteed wake up call. In the end, another stray bullet snaps me to my senses as it chips off one of the serrations of my blade and grazes my arm. I pull my sword out of the earth and rush over to Cloud and Tifa, and stab it back into the ground next to the blondes, creating a small wall of cover.

"Your arm.. Are you okay?" He asks as he gently grips the top of my arm.

"I'm fine.." I say bluntly, snatching my arm back and turning back to the fight. It irritates me how his touch affects me so greatly.

I turn my attention to the fight, making sure I keep my self behind the swords. Barret rolls and dodges the barrage of bullets, as he goes on the defensive. For a brute, I'm surprised at his agility. He fires back, but only in the general direction, to make his former friend take cover and stop firing. It's clear that he has no wish to harm Dyne but at some point he's going to have to or he'll be killed. Tifa also see's his reluctance to fight, and shouts over the gunfire.

"Fight back, Barret! Think of Marlene!" She shouts, not wanting to see her friend die.

At the sound of Marlene's name, something switched in the dark skinned muscle man's mind, and his accuracy improved greatly. Rolling from Dyne's shots, Barret sent a wave of bullets back at his attacker, hitting him in the chest just before he took cover behind the crumbling wall. He continues to fire, slowly turning the wall to dust, but eventually stops to let the dust settle. Advancing on the wall with his gun arm aimed and ready, he kicks what little is standing over, only to find nothing.

Barret kicks the bricks out of the way with his huge boots, unsure where Dyne has gone, but he soon finds out when the sound of movement from behind the corner of the house catches his attention. He turns but it's too late. Dyne has his gun aimed at Barret's head and there was no way for the Avalanche leader to get his gun up before he would be shot. Everything is silent for a moment before the sound of a metallic click rings through the air. Dyne fires but the gun jams and all of us see the panic on his face. He quickly rushes Barret and manages to wrestle him to the ground, making sure his gun never crosses his body.

I watch on as Cloud's patience finally snaps. He stands up and is about to rush over to Barret's aid but Dyne's advantage vanishes when Barret manages to club the man across the head, knocking him down. Barret stands up, still with no desire to hurt the man as he watches him crawl to the edge of the canyon.

"...I didn't just loose an arm back then.." Dyne coughs."I lost something irreplaceable.. I don't know where it went wrong.."

"Dyne... I don't know either.. man." Barret sighs. "Is this the only way we can resolve this?"

"I told you.. I... I wanna destroy everything.. This crazy world.. Even me.."

"An' what about Marlene? What's gonna happen to her?!"

"Think about it, Barret.. How old was Marlene back then?" Dyne says. "Even if I did go see her. She wouldn't even know me... My hands are to stained to carry her anymore... Barret.. Give this to Marlene.. It was my Eleanor's.. My wife's.." He adds, removing the necklace from around his neck and tossing it to Barret.

"Alright.."

"So.. Marlene's... already.. four..." Dyne coughs as he limps over to the edge of the canyon. "Barret.. Don't you ever.. make her.. cry.." He says finally as he turns to face Barret and falls backwards off the canyon.

"DYNE!" Barret roars as he rushes over to the edge.

All I can do is watch as Cloud and Tifa pull him away from the edge and try to console the man. With Dyne dead, I should be able to get into the chocobo race and this pistol should be proof enough of my victory. As the three of them talk amongst themselves, I take my sword and sneak off silently back to the race organizer.

"Well look at that. Didn't think I'd see you again.. Not in one piece anyway.." Mr Coates grins.

"I'm tougher than I look.." I say bluntly, pulling the pistol from my waistline. "One of Dyne's pistols.. Sadly he's no longer here to verify it belongs to him."

"You killed Dyne!?"

"I want to go up.."

"Y-Yes.. of course.. There is a race tonight, follow me to the lift. You can wait in the jockeys quarters until the race begins." Mr Coates says as he leads me out of the door and to a huge metallic lift with an electronic keypad that is built into the shaft of the Gold saucer.

The lift door opens and I walk inside. I watch as the man retypes the code into the keypad and gives me a wink as the doors close. The ride in the lift was a long one and It gave me time to think about the last day. I had managed to escape the inescapable prison but I've left Cloud and the others down there. Serah tells me that he's orphan and it's all a trick.. But to what end? Why am I being put through his charade and why isn't Cloud acting like my enemy? I hope that one day I find out the answers, but for now all I can think about is the race. The lift doors slam open and I'm greeted by a woman with snow white skin and strawberry blonde hair. She smiled at me with a warm expression that briefly distracted me from her white leg warmers and tacky pink dress.

"Hi! I'm Ester! I've heard about you! Let's go find you a Chocobo!"

 **A/N: First of, id like to apologize to Jace for waking him up at 3am. I loose track of time when I write these things lol. I didn't manage to fit everything in that I wanted because of how much chatting thats involved with Barret's backstory, but it just means that there will be more next chapter. The next one will take a slight twist to the story but it will quickly get back on track. Sorry it took so long btw they're usually 2.5k words and it ended up being almost 6. leave a review and let me know what you think.**

 **W** **olf**


	13. The race is on

**Cloud's POV**

It takes me and Tifa to stop Barret trying to reach over the canyon for his friend. He isn't really resisting us but his focus on the sheer drop below has his mountain of a body fixed on the edge. I look over my shoulder for Lightning, in the hope that she'd help but she was nowhere to be seen. My heart sinks for a moment before Barret finally relaxes and releases the tension in his body, knocking the three of us on our backs.

"Lightning's gone. We-" I begin, but Tifa shakes her head at me, disapprovingly.

"Will you just forget her!" She hisses near silently behind Barret's back.

I bow my head in shame as I think about my selfishness, but I can't help but worry about her. She's resisted my help every step of the way and my head is telling me to just let her make her own mistakes, but every time I think of her, I see the woman in the mako tube, helpless and alone.. Why does it matter to me what happens to her?

"Hey... Let's get out of here.. Okay Barret?" Tifa says softly, rubbing the man's back.

"...Yeah.." He finally speaks, giving the barmaid a slight smile.

We head back into the desert prison, receiving looks of disbelief from passers by, due to the necklace dangling from Barret's grip. Seems like everyone down here feared Dyne. Barret may have lost a friend, but I imagine everyone in this hell hole will sleep better tonight. Eventually we make it to Mr Coates and Barret takes the lead.

"I want to go up." He says bluntly.

"Gonna be kinda hard considering the boss is dead.." Mr Coates explains.

"I know.. I killed him.." Barret replies.

"Bull—shit. Girl came in here not twenty minutes ago with his gun an claimed she did it.."

Barret says nothing but holds up the necklace in front of the man's face, who stares at it in amazement.

"Y-you did kill him. There's no way you'd be holding that otherwise.. Then who the hell did I send up?"

"Lightning." Tifa says.

"I want to go up." Barret repeats himself, taking a step closer to the man.

"R,Right.. I suppose I can't really deny you a fair trial.. Be warned though, only one of you can go up, and they have to talk to Dio."

"What!?" Barret growls.

"Hey, man! It's the rules! If I changed it there would be chaos." Mr Coates quickly defends. "And 'cause I sent two up by mistake, whoever loses comes back down here."

"Alright, Cloud you go. My ass ain't ridin' no chocobo." Barret instructs me.

I reluctantly agree and am about to be shown to the lift that would take me back into the gold saucer when Tifa grabs me by the arm and pulls me to one side.

"You can't let her win.. You hear me?" Tifa ask's, making sure I'm looking into her beautiful crimson orbs. "You get her send down here and save us."

"But-"

"No. No buts! You've done more than enough for her and she's abandoned us. If she win's, we all stay down here forever and there will be nobody to stop Sephiroth."

I give her a determined look and nod before continuing to the lifts. I don't want to have Lightning's fate in my hands, but I won't sacrifice myself and the others for one person. Not when we're after Sephiroth.. Even though it is her.. I try to clear my mind as the lift ascends and focus on the race, but as soon as the lift doors slide open, I see her sat on a chair with her back to me as her pale pink locks dangled over it's back.

"Care to explain the disappearing act?" I ask coldly.

She says nothing and keeps her back turned to me as she walks across the room and vanishes down a corridor. For the first time in what felt like years, I could feel the rage building in my body as I clench my shaking fist. Needing desperately to vent my anger, I chase after her down the corridor and I'm about to open the door when another female voice shouts me.

"That's the ladies bathrooms! You can't go in there!" Says a woman with strawberry blonde hair to which I nod and turn back to the door.

"I sear if you don't come out and explain yourself, I'll drag you out." I say angrily as I rest my head on the door.

"Didn't you hear?.. It's the ladies bathroom.." Her sarcastic voice sounds from inside.

"I've got a dress and a wig. Nobody will notice.."

"Wa?...Never mind... Not interested.."

"..."

 **Lightning's POV**

I have to bite the back of my wrist to stop myself from laughing at the blonde's comment as my mind pictures him in a dress. Knowing it would infuriate him more, I respond with his favorite phrase, earning myself a brief silence before I hear the sound of his heavy boots walking away from the door. I almost wanted him to burst in an attack me just so the doubts in my mind could be put to rest. Whoever he is, and whatever this place is; real or not, I'm going to win this race, as it seems the to be the only way to progress. For better or worse. The only problem I have is, me and chocobo's don't mix. Every encounter I've ever had with one has ended in disaster, the last of which got me cast into a desert prison.

" _All Jockeys, please make your way to the racecourse!"_ I hear Ester shout over the intercom.

I let out a sigh, knowing I'm going to have to leave the bathroom, but there's just a short race to my freedom. If suffering his disappointed looks for a few minutes gets me out of here then that's what I'll do. I finally peer around the bathroom door to catch the last of Cloud and Ester's conversation as he is given the basics.

"Come on Lightning!" She shouts, causing the blonde to glance at me before heading outside. "You're on the far end Chocobo. He's got a gentle nature so you shouldn't have much trouble with him."

I'm nearly blinded by the vivid colours of the circuit and the mass of lights that are trained on the Jockey's and their Chocobos as they all prepare themselves for the race to begin. I walk past Cloud, who's stare doesn't waver from the start finish line; before finally coming to the end chocobo. I sheepishly climb onto the bird, and adjust myself until I'm ready to go.

"I know me and chocobo's don't get on much, but I really need us to win this.." I say in a whisper, as I stroke the velvety feathers on it's neck.

A woman, wearing the tackiest bikini that I've ever seen, walks across the bridge on the start finish line that was shaped like a Mog, before finally stopping at the edge of the racetrack with the checkered flag raised high in the air. I can feel the feathered creature beneath me tense up slightly and lower his head, clearly understanding what was about to happen. A second later, the flag is dropped and we're off. I throw myself forward to stop myself from falling off, shocked at the way my chocobo was able to launch itself off the line. The roar of excited onlookers was deafening, and made any form of planning difficult. I quickly count the four chocobo's in front of me, noticing Cloud in third place almost instantly.

I hold onto the reigns tightly as I try to move my body in rhythm with the chocobo, which only works for a few seconds, until the track's surface changes to a dusty dirt path, giving the bird a softer footing and allowing it to speed up. As we're all heading around the long left hand turn, I spot that the next bend is a right and position myself on the outside of the track, In the hopes of cutting in on the inside of fourth place with the extra pace I would be carrying. I lean my body over the right side of the bird and it instinctively understands what I want from him, clipping the apex and storming past fourth place like he was going backwards.

The track starts to climb as the brightness is taken by the cave themed roof and walls. The only light came from large flames, that kept the chocobo's from straying off the track. A combination of my light weight and my strong chocobo keeps my speed constant as I navigate the elevated chicane, and I'm able to get right behind the blonde. We finally reach the summit and the dusty track descends sharply as the 'cave' ends and an artificial forest begins. Cloud gains a place as the rider's chocobo in front of him is distracted by the rabbits that roam between the trees and I'm quick to claim the place too.

I'm now in third place as the lights burst through the thinning canopy of trees, dazzling us all with the next section's brightness. A bridge of glass arches between the dirt track and a cave ahead, which is blocked by a raging waterfall. Rainbows of light circle the bridge as a tacky looking sun bounces around in the distance. I can feel the chocobo's talons fighting for grip on the glass floor, but it presses on valiantly, still right behind Cloud. The chocobo lowers it's head as it bursts through the waterfall, nearly knocking me off as the full force of the crashing water soaks me. I catch Cloud shaking his golden spikes to rid himself of the water like a dog and grin to myself briefly before mentally scalding myself for not paying attention.

My eyes adjust to the darkness once again, convinced the track was designed like this to disorientate the jockeys, to find we're in a huge glass tunnel that runs through the middle of an aquarium. Sharks smash at the glass as they see potential food sprinting through their domain, scaring the leader's chocobo into a frenzied panic, bucking his rider onto the ground, before racing off. Not wanting to meet the same fate, I take my hand off the reigns and rub the bird's long neck, calming it as it burst through a second waterfall and into a plain gray tunnel with bright flashing lights built into the edges of the track.

"Just Cloud left... We can do this.." I say to the bird.

After a brief climb, the dull tunnel ends and my eyes first find a volcano, with lava pouring out of it in the shape of a sinister face. I know it's not real, but the heat is there none the less and I feel the water on my skin start to turn into steam. The track here seems to be made of old wooden railway sleepers, which gives the chocobo ample grip to dig it's claws into the grain and push us forward.

I'm finally at the side of the blonde, who looks over with a worried expression. An expression that turned to panic as we faced the track again. Neither of us could tell where the track was. In front of us was a mix of colour made out of glass and mirrors, that had random objects like pyramids and ships embedded into them. My eyes widen as I don't see the ground, but our chocobo's don't falter and race one. I feel my stomach drop as we descend rapidly down the invisible track that I couldn't see to prepare myself for and the blonde does the same, gripping his reigns so tightly that his fingers turned white. A large object that resembles a face blocks half of the track, dramatically narrowing it, leaving us with a problem.

"I'm not going back to that prison!" I roar, pulling the reign in my left hand hard, barging my chocobo into the blonde's.

He pushes back a little, but as we're about to hit the obstacle, he eases off to let me through and follows behind so closely that I'm convinced I feel his breath on the back of my neck. Within a hundred meters, the mind bending, transparent track ends and another short, wooden bridge carries us over to the final stretch of the race. I cross, nearly jumping out of my skin as a red serpent jumps over the bridge in front of me, and my chocobo instantly becomes unstable and slows dramatically as it's claws are met with ice. A shiver runs down my spine and goosebumps run up my arms as I feel the temperature plummet dramatically. I can't help but look over my left shoulder as our pace continues to fall, only to notice third place, miles behind.

"Where the hell is he?" I mutter to myself.

To my horror, I find my answer as I turn my head back, only to find him on my right hand side, inches in the lead. We continue down the frozen track section, trading the occasional blow until we both spot the final corner. A sharp, almost ninety degree right that lead to the finish line. I pull my chocobo over to the left, hoping to use the wider turn to carry more momentum through the bend. In my head I've already won. _Cloud will have to slow or run wide, leaving me to hit the apex and power to victory._

I lean in to the right, causing the chocobo to turn into the corner, and for a moment my plan works perfectly. I'm just about to overtake the blonde when I lean too far and my chocobo looses balance on the ice and comes crashing down. On instinct, I reach out and my fingertips sink into the back of Cloud's right boot, sending him down with me. We both slide over the finish line on our backs, giving every inch of my bare skin, freeze burn.

I try to get up, but my head is still spinning from the harsh landing. I try to focus on the blonde, who's holding a head that drips with blood as he slowly sits up. He looks at me with his piercing eyes, before something catches his eye. The next thing I know, his heavy boot is resting on my stomach and he kicks me across the icy track to the edge. I angrily try to stand but as I try, the remaining chocobos race past us, crossing the finish line. As soon as all the chocobo's had crossed the line, four security guards walk down the moogle bridge, accompanied my Dio, who looks amused with what he saw.

"I really thought one of you was gonna win." He says with a disappointed tone.

"I did win.." Cloud says bluntly. "I crossed the line first.."

"You have to cross the line on your chocobo, not your ass, boy." Dio laughs. "Okay, send them back down."

"Wait!" I shout. "You're building a battle square, right?"

"Yeah.. What of it?" He asks curiously.

"Me and him.. Winner is freed."

"I like your style, kid! Take them to the battle square!" Dio grins.

We're lead off the track and through some service tunnels until we come out at the battle square. The place is abandoned apart from us, adding to the tension. Why had I done this? Could I really beat Cloud? I guess I'd have no choice but to try. For the first time since the chocobo race, I glance at the blonde, who shakes his head at me in annoyance.

"Get inside the arena. Your weapons are waiting for you there." Dio commands.

"You can't expect me to kill her.." Cloud pleads.

"No, no, boy.. Just beat her. If she dies though, not to worry."

"Not likely.." I huff.

"In you get then!" Dio laughs. "We'll be watching from the viewing seats above the walls."

We're pointed to the stairs and I take the first steps through the archway and into the stone arena. As promised, my sword is on the far end of the arena floor and the blonde's is near the entrance. I step over his blade, resisting the urge to kick it away and continue to my own at a leasurly pace, until I hear the sound of steel on rock and rush to my own.

"FIGHT!" Dio shouts from above.

"Light.. Why do you want to fight me? All I've tried to do was help you.." Cloud asks, refusing to take an aggressive stance.

"Don't lie to me.. I know what this place is.. None of it's real, it's just a trick you've made in my mind." I explain.

"What?..."

"I don't know how to escape your powers, but I've had enough. Dead or alive. This ends now!" I roar, launching towards the blonde and slashing at him, causing him to quickly block the blow.

"Who do you think I am?" He asks with a hint of concern.

"Not who.. What.. Don't pretend your human, Orphan!"

A/N: Sorry for the delay, was going to include the fight in this one but i realized i hadn't put a chapter up in a while so fight comes next. Leave a review and let me know what you think. Thanks for reading.

Wolf


	14. The Unexpected Rescuer

**Cloud's POV**

"Not who.. What.. Don't pretend your human, Orphan!" Lightning roars at me.

That word.. Orphan.. I never thought about it much. I tried to block my muddled past out, but no matter how hard I try, I always remember the heat of the flames that engulfed my childhood home. Inside was my mother.. A vibrant woman who did her best to raise a troubled boy. I take a deep breath to calm myself, but something inside snaps and an anger I've never felt takes over my body.

" _Are you going to let her disrespect your mother like that?"_

"You have no right to take about my past!" I spit, as I bring my sword up to fight.

Lightning slashes at me again, but I see it coming from a mile away and block it, before going on the offensive. I lunge at the pinkette, who gracefully side steps my sword and sends bolts of lightning through it's steel body and through my own. My muscles only obey my command at the last second, and I duck under her serrated weapon and tackle her to the ground.

She manages to get her boot between us, and with a strength I didn't expect, kicks me back across the arena. I hear the obnoxious chants from Dio and his guards from above as they watch us fight, making me feel like animal. Lightning charges at me again with a fierce determination in her eyes, that soon turns to panic, when I send a wave of scorching flames in her direction. She tries to hide behind her sword's large surface, but the heat washes over her shoulder, blistering it badly. Remaining on the offensive, I take a running jump; bringing my sword over my head as I do, and bring it smashing down. She tries to roll away, but the blade hits the tip of her own, shattering the top few serrations, that fly off into her leg.

I pull my weapon from the stony floor as Lightning pulls shards of her own sword from the top of her leg. There isn't that much damage, but the sight of the crimson liquid running down her pale leg will have psychologically hurt her. With my anger still not satisfied, I march over to the hobbling pinkette and slash again, hitting her sword as she brings it between us with the little energy she had left. Her grip fails her and the damaged sword is smashed from her hand and slides across the stony arena. I hear the onlookers chanting above as I stand over her defeated figure.

"Finish her!"

" _Yes, Cloud... Finish her..."_

I drop my sword and pin Lightning's body down as I throw my legs over her and grip her throat with a vice like grip.

 **Lightning's POV**

It was like I flicked a switch inside the man when I called him Orphan. Finally, I see his true colours, and his wall of deception is broken, leaving behind a rage filled shell that was beating me into the ground. At least now I know it would end..

" _Giving in so easy?... That's not the Lightning I know.."_

"Serah.." The sound of her voice fills me with strength and I try desperately to prize his hands from my throat to no avail. I search the ground for my weapon, but it's far from my reach. On the other side is Cloud's sword and my fingertips stretch out to reach it but his gaze catches my stretching limb and pins my left arm to the ground. I feel my vision fading as my free arm finds my thigh and a piece of sword that was still imbedded into it. With the last of my strength, I pull the metal shard out of my leg and jam it into the blonde's arm, causing him to instantly release his grip on my throat. I punch him in the face and throw him off me as I scramble to his sword. Dio and his guards continue to chant and whistle from above as I pick up the buster sword and turn back to Cloud, who's back on his feet.

" _Kill him Light! Kill him for me!"_

The voice inside my head sounds like Serah.. Or at least what I think I remember what she sounds like.. But the sinister tone in her voice makes me question it for the first time. My doubt makes me pause for a split second, giving the blonde enough time to send a blast of sub zero mist in my direction, freezing my feet to the ground. I use the buster sword as a chisel to free myself, but Cloud's shoulder bursts into my ribcage, as he wrestles me for his weapon. I gasp for breath as my winded body is back on the floor with the blonde over me again; but this time, the buster sword's razor sharp edge is across my throat. I feel it's murderous edge hover just over my skin as I look into Cloud's anger filled eyes.

This is it.. It's all over..With no possible way to get out of the situation, I accept my fate and close my eyes; relaxing my body as I wait for the cold steel to end my being. I take what I thought would be my last gulp of air, when I hear the sound of metal humming as his sword hits the stone floor at my side. My eyes open but I don't attempt to struggle free. Instead, I just watch in confusion as Cloud holds his head for a moment, seemingly in pain, before mumbling to himself.

"Your... Not my.. mother..." I hear him mumble before he regains his composure. "You said I Didn't have to kill her! I have won!" He shout's up to Dio.

"You have, boy! You've put on quite a show!" He shouts back, giving the blonde a round of applause.

He never looks at me once as we wait for Dio and his guards to return to the arena to free him. The guards enter first, training their guns on me as Cloud stands up and reclaims his weapon. Dio waves him over as I remain on my back, watching him walk over to the door.

"... What about her?" I here him ask the theme park owner.

"She lost. She's going back to the prison."

"We Didn't kill those people.."

"We're retrieving the CCTV as we speak. Come to my office and explain your story."

One of the guards march over to me and kicks me over onto my stomach, before handcuffing me. I'm dragged to my feet only to be struck on the back of the head, knocking me out cold. When I finally wake from my unconsciousness, I realize where I am straight away. The desert prison.

"Damn..." I huff as I pull myself up.

I search around, quickly realizing I hadn't received the same courtesy as last time of keeping my weapon. Feeling like I'm being watched, I cautiously look around, finding the prisoners in the distance eying me with hungry eyes. Unlike last time where they feared me, without a weapon and still bleeding, It's only a matter of time before I become their prey. I enter the nearest ruin of a house to get out of the sun and to find something I could use as a weapon, knowing I was going to need one to survive this place. Inside the house I rip off what was left of a dirty cotton curtain and wrap it around me bleeding leg. It would surely get infected, but without materia, stopping the bleeding was as good as I can manage in these conditions.

Searching the house, I find nothing at first, until I spot something green sticking out from a broken piece of plaster board. With my bare hands, I pull off the plaster board walls, revealing a length of copper heating pipe that had oxidized on the exposed end. There's nearly six feet of it attached to the frame of the wall which I eventually snap off after rocking it backwards and forwards for a few minutes. I head back outside, to be met with curious eyes watching me like vultures as I find a large rock and use it to crush the end of my copper pipe into a crude point. Even now though it's too light and will bend if used in combat. I'm ready to give in and find another weapon when I look down at the sandy floor. I get on my hands and knees and fill the end of the pipe with sand, using a small stick to compact it down tightly before using the large rock to flatten the end, sealing the sand inside. With nowhere for the sand to go, it stops the pipe from flexing and provides me with a much more formidable weapon.

Now armed adequately, I walk around the prison camp, trying my best not to limp or show any weakness, which seems to work in repelling the other prisoners. My real enemy now is sleep. At some point I was going to have to, but as soon as I do, I'm done for.

 **Cloud's POV**

"See, I told you it wasn't us.." I huff.

"It seems that I owe you my sincerest apologies, boy. As promised, I'll release you." Dio says.

"And my friends, they came looking for me and ended up down there too."

"Of course, they where moved up into the jockeys waiting area as soon as the race began." Dio nods, before taking out a phone and dialing. "Yes. Let them go. Give them the buggy as an apology as well as their items back. Okay, bye."

"All done, boy. They're waiting for you outside. Sorry for any inconvenience I've caused you."

I turn to leave Dio's office but pause at the door.

"What about Lightning?.." I ask.

"She has to pay for her crimes. She tried to steal from me.. Here, take her materia." He offers, handing me the orbs.

I let out a sigh but don't respond and leave the office and walk through his collection room. The exit and my freedom is to my left, but I head right and up the stairs to the arena I was just fighting in. Sure enough, Lightning's sword is still laying, broken and damaged on the stone floor. I take it from the ground and turn to the exit to find Dio eying me curiously.

"A trophy for your victory?" He asks.

"A momento Of a failed promise.." I whisper to myself before leaving the battle square.

I walk to the ropeway station with a sword in each hand when my PHS rings. I put both blades on my back and answer it to the excited voice of Aeris.

"Cloud! We've got a buggy! Come on we wanna drive it!" She shouts like a child on her birthday.

The ride back to Corel was shorter than I'd have liked, but I used it to think about our fight. More specifically, the voice in my head. Even after all these years I remember my mothers voice, and what I heard before was her voice.. I just can't imagine the vibrant woman who raised me to demand I kill in her name.. That's why I didn't kill her and am now left with a badly cut arm. The ropeway tram jerks to a stop, and I'm met with Tifa, who's excited to see me, but her look saddens when she sees my lost expression.

"Hey.. You did what you had to do.." She tries to comfort me. "Come on. You've gotta see our new ride."

We walk through Corel together and out into the grassy planes, where everyone was waiting for me in front of this huge, red buggy. The gloss red vehicle had six, massive off road tires That looked like they could scale a mountain. I climb inside, and take a seat in the drivers seat and examine the array of buttons and switches in front of me.

"You know how to drive this thing?" Barret asks.

"I'll figure it out.." I reply, turning the key and firing up the engine.

Within a few minutes, I've figured out all of the controls and we're barreling along heading south west, towards the river crossing. Everyone's sat down, enjoying the scenery as I drove, until I veer off to the left and head for the gold saucer in the desert.

"Yo, spiky! Where the hell you goin'?!" Barret asks as he watches me drive into the desert.

"I can't leave her to rot in there.. Even if she is the most unpredictable thing I've ever met.."

"You outta ya damn mind?! How many times you gonna forgive her!?" He shouts.

"Must be that not so secret crush." Yuffie says, fanning the flames.

I ignore their disapproving comments and looks and navigate my way through the desert.

 **Lightning's POV**

The night is drawing in quickly, and my lips release an involuntary yawn, causing me to worry. I've made my way inside one of the abandoned buildings on the edge of the prison town, using it as a shelter from the frosty evening. I cover up whats left of the windows, noting the scattered eyes in the distance, all waiting for my inevitable slumber. After selecting a corner of the room that wasn't next to any doors or windows, I sit in it with my makeshift spear clutched tightly in my arm. Every tiny found for the next few hours sent a shiver down my spine and briefly opened my closing eyes. Eventually though, my exhaustion gets the better of me, and my cold blue eyes begin to shut for what could be their last time.

The sound of broken glass being crushed underfoot, snaps my eyes wide open, and I have just enough time to regain my firm grip on my spear and slash it blindly in front of me. The shadowy figure bats the tip of my spear away with a rusty machete and grips my throat, dragging my out of the corner.

"I got her!" He shouts as two more men burst into the building, laughing wickedly.

I stamp on the man's knee as he drags me into the center of the room and stumble to my feet. He slashes at me with his machete but misses and imbeds it into the wall. I ram my spear into his abdomen and he goes down, holding his stomach in agony. A metal chain is launched at me like a whip by the furthest of the two remaining men, missing me, but wrapping tightly around my spear. I struggle to pull my spear free as the last man approaches me with a jagged dagger. I duck under his slash and roll to safety as I release my grip on my entangled spear.

A searing sensation burns across my back as the knife wielding prisoner slashes me, shoulder to hip. I reach for the machete in the wall and swing it blindly as I turn, cutting off his knife arm at the shoulder. His screams echo into the night as I try to flee, noticing headlights out of the broken window as I run, but a cold chain whips around my wrist, causing me to drop the machete.

"Get over here!" He shouts as he yanks on the chain, dragging me across the room.

He sweeps my feet and wraps the rest of the chain around my throat as I'm pushed to the ground. His spare arm reaches behind his back and pulls out a small knife. I feel it's edge press against my throat as he laughs victoriously. His hand traces down my body as I struggle with the chains.

"Don't worry, You don't need to be alive for what happens next.." He laughs as he raises the knife up high.

"...Neither do you.." I hear a voice I never thought I'd hear again as a monstrous blade bursts through his chest.

"Cloud..." Was all I could manage to utter before collapsing.

 **A/N: Sorry for the delay, been helping a friend build a custom water cooled pc desk. Story should pick up now as the next locations are more story filled. Also, I got a new review on a great mako war asking for a chapter but I might only have time for one more before I'm dragged down the isle by my other half lol. So do we all want another chapter for a stormy reunion or a great mako war. Leave a review and let me know. Sorry for the long wait, and as always, thanks for reading.**


	15. A Brush With The Turks Part 2

**Cloud's POV**

I ignore the irritated looks from my companions as I duck under the buggy's rear door and place the unconscious pinkette onto the leather bench seats that lined the inner walls of the vehicle. The questioning stares burn into the back of my head as I take the drivers seat and set off again without a word. Eventually the sand becomes grass and I see a river in the distance. I recheck the navigation as the sound of silence is broken by Aeris in the back.

"Poor thing..." I hear her say as I look in the rear view mirror to find her looking over Lightning like a caring parent.

"Poor thing?! She's a god damn pain in the ass!" Barret shouts.

"I'm sure she has her reasons." Aeris defends the pinkette.

"Yo, Cloud! When's enough gonna be enough?!"

"I'll drop her off in the next safe town.. She's slowing us down.. But I don't want any harm to come to her.." I answer when it becomes clear that Barret wasn't going to drop this.

"My village is in the canyons to the west. That is were my journey will end. She will be welcome to stay there." Red says.

"You're leaving us?" Yuffie asks, with a disappointed look across her face.

"I've been away from home for many years, Yuffie. It's commendable for what you're all trying to do, but I do not think it's possible anymore.." The bluntness in Red's words caused each of us to question our actions and sent the buggy into silence once again.

We cross the river with ease, thanks to the buggy, and continue west until something catches my eye in the distance. A mako reactor that looks like it had exploded from the inside out, stands in the middle of a small forest. It's easily a mile away, but pieces of mako pipe and other shrapnel are stuck out of the ground all around us. I alter my course to the destroyed structure that towers over the treeline and the gentle sway of my deviation doesn't go unnoticed.

"Yo, spiky! Where you takin' us?" Barret shouts.

"Over there.." I answer, pointing out of the window.

"Is that a-"

"Looks like it." I interrupt, sending the man back to his seat.

The next to rear his head over my shoulder was Red, who looked at the obliterated structure for a moment before speaking near silently.

"We're not going to Cosmo canyon?" Red asks me.

"We are, I just wanna check out this place. I promise you, we'll get you home before nightfall." I promise. "...Is she okay?" I ask hesitantly.

"She seems to be.. The exhaustion has taken it out of her but physically she is okay.. May I ask what it is about her that keeps drawing you back to her?" Red asks.

"Hmm?" I mutter, pretending not to know what he was referring to.

"You seem to be going out of your way to help her, despite her constant efforts to leave or resist you.."

"I'd do the same for all of you.." I mutter in response, as I stew over his words.

"You are without doubt one of the most courageous humans I've encountered... But to you, she is different.."

"Honestly.." I sigh. "I have no idea.. I just know she doesn't deserve all of this.."

The red furred beast stops his mild interrogation and heads back to the rear of the buggy, passing Aeris, who was knelt down in the middle of the two bench seats, dabbing a wet cloth on the pinkette's head. I turn my attention from the rear view mirror and back to the road to find blacked out, Shinra vehicles parked up in the treeline. I slow as we approach and park up a few hundred meters to the right of the Shinra cars, killing the engine as quickly as possible.

"I thought we'd never stop. Let's take a look around!" Yuffie cheers.

"Wait. There's Shinra Vehicles here.. We shouldn't all go." I say, stopping Yuffie in her tracks.

"But my butt is sooo numb from these seats!" She pleads.

"Then come with me.. But keep it down." I reply.

"I'm comin' too. Just in case you find some other psycho woman to take with us.." Barret says, opening the rear of the buggy.

I ignore his comment and exit the buggy, leading the group through the woods until the trees thin and a dusty trail emerges. We follow it until it forks in two directions but I have to drag the unobservant ninja behind the nearest tree to stop her walking right though Reno and Rude, who I are chatting amongst themselves down the left path. Pushing one hand over Yuffie's mouth and the other over my lips, I signal to her to be quiet before pointing through the trees.

"Hey, Rude. Whoo do you like?" Reno asks. "What are you getting so embarrassed about? Come on? Who do you like?"

"...Tifa." The bald turk answers.

"Hmmm.. That's a tough one... But, poor Elena. She.. You.."

"No, she likes Tseng." Rude corrects him.

"I never knew that! But Tseng likes that ancient..."

"What are they talking about?" I say to Barret, shaking my head at their childishness.

"It's so stupid!" I hear a woman's voice shout from behind, causing us to all turn. "They always talk about who the like or don't like. But Tseng is different." Elena finishes before finally realizing just who she was talking to and bolts past us to her co-workers. "They're here!"

"Hmm.. Then it's time.." Reno says with a cool arrogance. "Rude... Don't go easy on them. Not even the girl." He adds causing Yuffie to gulp loudly.

"Don't worry... I'll do my job." He answers as he pushes his sunglasses up the bridge of his nose.

"I'll report to Tseng!" Elena shouts as she darts off down the northern path.

"It's been a while." Reno says smugly as he takes his place beside his partner and rests his hand over the top of his electro-baton that's tucked down his trousers.

"Out of our way.." I warn, drawing my sword and signaling to the others to get ready.

"That's as far as you go." Rude says calmly before bolting towards us.

Barret opens fire on the advancing Turk, who dives out of the way as his loud mouthed friend sends a wave of fire in his direction. I sprint towards Reno with my heavy blade carving up the earth to my side as I drag it across the ground before swiping it up at the man, who barely escapes it's edge. I watch his baton extend at the push of a button and lean back just as it's brought across my face. It misses but I could feel the wind across my face as it brushed past my nose. As my head turns, I see Yuffie doing surprisingly well at hand to hand combat with the bald brute as Barret heals his burns. Another swipe with the baton comes my way but it's easily countered with my sword, which stops it dead in it's tracks.

Reno smiles at me like he has some advantage I'm not aware of as our weapons are pressed against each other. There's no way the tiny weight would ever overpower my sword, but it turns out it didn't need to. With the press of a button, thousands of volts of electricity pass through our weapons and into me, forcing me to drop my sword to regain control of my twitching body. Reno continues on the offensive, but it's short lived, due to Barret's arm gun, that sends a wall of lead in his direction. The Avalanche leader runs after the loud mouthed turk as I go to pick up my weapon but my eyes find Yuffie first, who has finally been bested by Rude, who has his hands around her throat. I charge the man, who's unaware of my presence and tackle him to the ground and off of the ninja. Some how during the tackle, the brute ends up on top of me and sends his fist crashing into my ribs, winding me. I bring my hands up as Rude pulls his arm back for a second punch, but Yuffie puts him in a headlock.

 **Lightning's POV**

"Cloud..." I mutter as I finally come around. My last memory returns to me and I sit bolt upright in an attempt to get away.

"Easy there." Aeris says, placing a gentle hand on my arm. "You're safe.."

"I was... You Should be..." I mumble to myself as I make sense of the situation.

"It's okay, you're not in the desert anymore. Cloud went back and got you." Aeris explains.

"I cant believe he came back for me... After all I've put him through.. All of you.."

"Hey, we all make mistakes." Tifa smiles, who I only just notice is sat on the other side of the... Whatever the hell this is that we're in. "You might wanna stop running away though." She laughs.

"Do you feel like sharing with us your intent on running away?" Red's wise tone asks as he enters though a large metal door.

"It's a long story.." I reply, not wanting to start the conversation about gods that nobody here has ever heard of.

"Until Cloud gets back, we have nothing but time.." Red pushes, but I'm spared by the sound of gunfire in the distance.

"You hear that?" I ask. Pushing past a huge stuffed Mog and climbing out of the metal container I discover is some form of buggy.

"Yeah, but there's three of them so they should be-" Tifa starts to talk but I race into the forest unarmed towards the noise.

It's not long before I discover the source of the gunfire. Two turks are battling it out with Cloud, Yuffie and Barret with no clear victor to be seen. The bald turk is the closest and is doing his best to shake off the young thief, who is clinging to his back in a vein attempt at choking him. He finally grabs her arm and throws her over his shoulder and onto the ground but I manage to slide tackle him, bringing him to the ground in an instant, as well as removing half on the skin on my leg on the rocky path.

"Bolt materia!" I shout to Yuffie, who looks surprised to see me but throws me the orb I want as I climb to my feet and sprint in Reno's direction. I hear Cloud's heavy boots in my wake as I race across to Reno and Barret as I see his sword laying on the ground in front of me. Without slowing down, I lean forward and flick the buster sword's handle into the air with my fingertips, standing it up just long enough for the blonde behind me to grip it. Barret dives out of the way of another wave of fire as Reno finally notices me advancing. He takes his baton which arcs with electricity but I merely smile at him as he's about to meet the same end as his blonde colleague. I grip the green orb tightly in my hand and send an enormous bolt of lightning at him, causing his weapon to explode violently in his hand like a grenade. I watch as he limps into the treeline, holding his hand with Rude right behind him as the others catch up to me.

"We may be retreating... But we're still victorious..." He wheezes as he disappears into the forest.

"You okay?" I ask Barret as I help him up.

"All good. You got some moves girl!" He compliments.

I turn to return the materia to Yuffie, only to find Cloud stood right behind me. I don't dare make eye contact with the man who must be furious with me after everything I've done and keep my gaze fixated on the ground like some sort of naughty pet. I watch his boots take a step closer to me and his hand gently lift my chin up, forcing me to look into those piercing mako eyes.

"Are you okay?" He asks with a coldness in his voice, to which I nod.

He turns his back to me and continues down the dirt path and all I can do is watch. His trust and warmth towards me is finally broken, now that I finally realize he isn't the enemy. _What have I done?..._

"He'll come around." Yuffie smiles as she pats me on the back as we both follow in Cloud and Barret's footsteps.

We continue on, with me trailing behind at the back and the blonde at the helm of the small group. He glances back at me occasionally when he thinks I'm not looking to make sure I've not ran off, but his stoic face tells me nothing. The four of us continue on until Yuffie finally breaks the silence.

"I don't like this! It's like the whole world knows where we're going."

"They followed us... But there weren't any signs of it..." Cloud finally speaks. "Then, that means..."

"A spy, maybe? No, no way." Barret says.

"I don't even want to think about there being a spy.." The blonde says softly. "I trust everyone." He adds, this time looking at me and dispelling any fears about the group not trusting me.

"What's that?" I ask, noticing a destroyed structure in the distance.

"It was a mako reactor. We gonna go check it out." Barret answers.

I follow the blonde down the path that ran though the trees until we reached the clearing that contained the destroyed structure. I can only imagine the size of the explosion that sent tonnes of metal hundreds of meters in all directions as I walk through the debris. Cloud arrives at the heart of the reactor first, scanning the wreckage for anything of interest when the sound of engines in the distance catches my attention. I turn to find the noise coming from a silhouette in the sky that was heading straight for us and turn back to Cloud.

"Cloud!" I shout, instantly gaining his attention before pointing to the sky.

"It's a Shinra helicopter! Get out of sight!" Barret shouts as they all race behind the reactor's central core just as the aircraft touches down.

I race after them as I see a blonde woman with a red silk dress on, strutting towards me with what looks like a turk right behind her. I look around but I can't see where they've hidden and begin to panic when I think I'm about to be discovered but a firm arm wraps around my waist and pulls me into a gap in the debris. A second hand is over my mouth before I can say anything but I soon relax when I see Cloud's glowing eyes in the darkness, inches from my own. He takes his hand from my lips but keeps his other around my waist. Goosebumps run down my arms and I take a large breath when I feel his own, but the moment doesn't last. As soon as I feel like he's getting closer, his eyes crunch up with pain and the soft grip around my waist tenses. It only lasts a second but it's enough to destroy the tenseness about the situation.

"You okay?" I mouth silently, to which he nods and tries to listen in to the woman's conversation.

"Hmph!" She tuts loudly. "This isn't any good either. You only get junky materia from junky reactors. This reactor is a failure. What I'm looking for is huge materia. Have you found any, Tseng?"

"...No, I haven't. I'll get on it right away." The turk answers in a soft voice.

"Please. We could make the ultimate weapon if we had some." She replies.

"I just can't wait."

"With Hojo gone, Weapon development's been getting a bigger budget."

"I envy them." The turk continues to reply, seemingly intent on using as little words as possible.

"But even if we make the perfect weapon, could that stupid Heidegger use it?" The blonde woman mocks. "Oh, sorry! I forgot Heidegger was your boss! Kya ha ha!"

The Turk doesn't respond to the woman's insults about his superior and escorts her back to the aircraft before it takes off and soon vanishes out of sight.

"Huge materia...An ultimate weapon.. What are the Shinra up to?" Cloud mumbles.

"Whatever is is.. It doesn't sound good." I reply when something crimson catches my eye.

Cloud looks at what's diverted my attention as I reach into the jagged sheets of metal and crushed pipework to wrap my fingertips around the small ruby-like orb and pull it out. Shards of metal scratch my arms as I pull my hand free but it seems to be worth it when they all stare at the orb with admiration.

"Summon materia, What is it Cloud?" Barret asks.

"Titan." He answers, after placing his hand over my own and feeling it's power.

"That's gonna come in real handy down the line." Barret states.

"Looks like the coast is clear guys." Yuffie tells us, never taking her eye off the ruby orb until I pocket it.

We continue past the reactor and find ourselves on another track which leads to a small village in the distance. Before we get to the houses; if you could call mud huts houses, we walk past countless graves that line the trail. The headstones are little more than rocks with names carved on, but some are legible enough to read.

"All of these people died in the reactor explosion..." I mutter, beginning to build up a clearer picture of the Shinra company and their dark dealings.

With Cloud still in the lead, we make it to the village and the blonde opens the door of the first building, looking for a shop, only to find it's a house.

"Sorry, I thought this was a shop." He says sheepishly before beginning to shut the door again.

"Hey, wait!" The old man inside shouts, inviting the four of us inside. "That glow in your eyes.. Are you in Soldier?"

"Oh, you're right!" His wife shouts in excitement when she looks into his eyes. "Do you know anything about our son?"

"His name is Zack." The husband states. "It's been close to ten years since he left of the city, saying that he didn't want to live in the country..."

"He left saying he's going to join Soldier. You ever hear of a Zack In Soldier?"

I notice a slight flicker in Cloud's eyes as he tries to recall before finally shaking his head, but my concentration on him ends swiftly when I begin to feel dizzy and start to have another vision.. or is it a memory.

 _Specimen Z is showing much more promise than C, who's mind seems to be lost.. Although it was expected, being an inferior specimen. The woman seems to be much more susceptible to Jenova's cells._

"The hell's the matter with you?" Barret asks as the room turns to look at me.

"Nothing.. Just a little tired I guess.." I answer.

"Right... Well there's nothin' going on around here, lets get back to the others."

Me and Cloud both nod our heads and walk back to the buggy to a worried group. Tifa's the first to ask us about the gunfire and what we found, and between the four of us, we explain our run in with the Turks. After the group was satisfied with our answer, Cloud ordered us back inside the buggy to fulfill his promise to Red to get him home. I'm the last to climb in, using the huge, stuffed toy to drag myself up.

"Hey! Watch it!" It shouts angrily, causing me to jump and fall into the buggy and land of my face.

"It talked!?" I shout as I rub my nose. "The toy talked!"

"Toy?! Listen here lassy! I ain't no toy!" The cat like creature on the top of the large mog's body shouts.

I look around the room for an explanation, received nothing but amused smiles and laughing at my expense initially, before I was filled in about what happened during our time apart. It didn't matter how many times they explained it, a talking toy was something my mind was unwilling to process. The hours passed by, as did the sun, which had just sunk below the horizon. The grassy plains ended and we entered a desert area; but unlike the quicksand prison, this place was beautiful. Crimson sandstone canyons cut deep into the dusty floor and stretched up into the starry sky on either side. Red, who was stood with his hear peering over Cloud's shoulder for the past half an hour finally broke the quietness in the crowded buggy.

"I'm home!" He shouts with excitement.

 **A/N: I'm baaaaack. Sorry for the long delay, had a hectic few weeks but im back into writing mode. Leave a revew and let me know what you think. Thanks for reading and keeping with it for so long.**

 **Wolf**


	16. The Wormhole Theory

**Cloud's POV**

I continue to drive deeper into the canyon, towards a bunch of lights that are scattered across the crimson sandstone mountain to the north east. Red's usual calmness vanished the second we left the grassy plains and I can't help but grin as he bounces around the back of the buggy like an excitable puppy. It takes another half an hour to reach our destination, and by that time, all daylight had vanished.

"It looks so peaceful.." I hear Lightning say as we pull up outside a set of stairs that leads to the first of many flat platforms that are carved out of the soft earth.

It's a complete contrast to Midgar. There's no reactor, no pollution; just the planet and the people that live on it. I'm not stupid enough to think a life like this would be an easier one, but I'm sure the people hear are happy. As soon as I kill the engine, Yuffie opens the rear door of the buggy and Red bolts out and sprints up the steps in seconds to be met by a man who stood guard at the top.

"I am home! It is I, Nanaki!" Red shouts in excitement.

"Hey, Nanaki! You're safe! Come on, and say hello to Bugenhagen!" The man beams.

"...Nanaki?" I say, looking at Tifa, who merely shrugs.

Once the rest of the group has climbed out of the buggy, we make our way up the steps, hoping to find food and shelter for the night, as well as explain to Lightning that this is as far as she travels with us. Strangely, It's Barret, who's right behind me on the stairs, urging me to go faster.

"Wooooo!" He cheers. "I've always wanted to come here!"

"I'm sorry but we're full now. I can't let you enter." The Village guard say's holding his hand out to stop Barret, but Red races back down from one of the holes in the mountain to intervene.

"They helped me when I was on the road. Please let them in." He asks.

"...Oh, is that so? You helped our Nanaki? Please, come in." He replies with a warm smile, stepping to one side.

"Who is Nanaki?" I ask.

"Nanaki is Nanaki. That's his name."

I always knew Red wasn't his name, but I could never figure out why he wouldn't share with us his real one. Perhaps we were just a means to an end and he didn't trust us.. Who knows.. But before I leave this place tomorrow I'd like to find out. The rest of the group walks past me while I'm deep in thought, apart from Aeris, who point's to a wooden door in the distance to tell me where they were going, before skipping off after Tifa. I eventually follow them, but not after taking in Red- or rather Nanaki's home. The entire Village was carved into the mountain, and had several platforms that continued all the way to the summit where a large house stood with an impressive telescope that burst out of it's roof. The level I was on was the largest and hand several shops cut into the sandstone walls as well as others made from wood that stuck out from the vertical face of the mountain and accessed only by ladders. The most striking thing about the place was the bonfire that lit up the whole village in a warm amber glow. Even from twenty feet away, I could feel the heat radiating off it; repelling the cold night air.

"There you are!" Barret says cheerily as I entered what turns out to be a bar and inn. "Rooms booked! Come have a drink!"

"I'll be back after. I want to go find-"

"Not Lightning again..." Barret moans. "She's sat by the fire outside."

"I meant Red." I say bluntly, looking around and realizing that Lightning wasn't here. "A bottle of beer please." I ask the bar tender, who hands me a cold brown bottle. "Add it to his tab." I grin smugly to Barret as I walk out of the door.

It took a while to find the pinkette, who was sat around the far side of the fire. She flinches when I touch the cold bottle on her shoulder and turns around in surprise.

"Sorry.. I.. was just thinking.." Lightning says, before finally taking the bottle. "Thanks.."

"About running off again?" I ask, feeling a little harsh as soon as the words leave my lips.

"No.. I won't-" She begins, but I cut her off.

"From tomorrow, we're continuing without you..." I reply.

"But why?!" She shouts with such hurt in her tone.

"You're constant resistance is slowing me down.. I need to catch up to Sephiroth, and I can't if I keep having to chase after you. And I can't keep you safe."

"I won't leave again! I only did that because... It doesn't matter, but I'll fight with all of you!" She pleads.

"Lightning... I'm a shadow.. One that no light will shine on.. As long as you follow me, you'll never see the day."

"I don't care.. If I die, I want to die for something I believe in. I don't know who I am. I don't know what I am.. I don't even recognize this planet! Up until the other day I was convinced that you were nothing more than the puppet of a Fal'cie and this was all an illusion! I don't know what to believe or what to do! All I know is the only thing I trust right now is you." Lightning says, slamming her fist into the ground as she vents her feelings.

"...Then I guess we need to find you a new weapon, as yours is still broken." I reply after looking into her eyes for a moment to try and read her. "Come on."

 **Lightning's POV**

I say nothing, but nod as I stand up and try to suppress the relief I feel, knowing the only person I can count on isn't going to abandon me. I almost feel disgusted in myself for practically begging to stay, but for the moment at least; he's all I have. He leads me away from the warmth of the bonfire and up another set of sandstone steps that Nanaki is stood on top of. We walk up to him, to talk for the first time since we arrived here.

"Here is where I was... I mean... This is my hometown.." Nanaki begins to speak, before we even ask him a question. "My tribe were protectors of those who appreciate this beautiful canyon and the planet. My brave mother fought and died here, but my cowardly father left her... I'm the last of my race..." He says with such sadness in his ochre eye.

"Cowardly father?" Cloud asks.

"Yes. My father was a wastrel." He replies with a cold tone. "And so the mission I inherited from my ancestors it to protect this place. My journey ends here."

"Hey! Nanaki!- You're home!" A voice shouts loudly from higher up the canyon.

"Coming, grandpa!" Nanaki howls as he bolts into the tunnel that was carved out of the rock.

"Grandpa? He just said..." I mutter, as I glance over to Cloud, who just shrugs and follows him.

We go inside the 'cave', which is brightly lit with paraffin lamps, to discover a wooden stall directly in front of us with the words 'Tigerlilly arms shop' written in white paint on the planks. On the makeshift counter is a few boomerangs and a dagger, but that caught my eye was a large sword that was propped up against the wall behind the smiling shopkeeper.

"How much is that?" Cloud says, pointing to the blade.

"That's 2800 Gil, sir." The woman smiles, taking the weapon and handing it to the blonde.

"What do you think?" Cloud asks as he gives me the weapon.

"I don't want you to waste your money on me.." I answer as I look at the beautifully crafted sword that had a razor sharp edge on one side and a serrated one on the other that ran from the hilt to the center of the blade.

"You plan on running off again?" He asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Of course not, bu-"

"Then I'll take it." He cuts me off, handing the money over to the shopkeeper.

I smile at the blonde, realizing he wasn't gonna take no for an answer and follow him up the stairs that ran down the side of the weapon shack. We follow the track around until it leads back outside and up another set of steps that snakes up the sandstone cliffs. We reach the top in a few seconds and find another cutout in the wall that had a flaming torch on either side that cast a gentle light on the soft sandstone. By now, we're quite high up, and the view is perfect. I turn to look down on the village and the canyon it was carved into, taking in it's tranquil beauty. I don't know how long I was looking down at all of the flickering flames and the people in the village, but the feel of a hand on my shoulder brings me back to reality.

"You okay?" Cloud asks.

"Yeah, just taking in the view." I answer, not turning around.

"It couldn't be more different than Midgar.."

"You'd prefer to live there?" I ask.

"I dunno.. Not if the price of the convenience kills the planet. I only know one thing right now.. I have to find Sephiroth, and finish what I couldn't back then.."

"We. I told you, I'm not going anywhere. For better or worse, you're stuck with me.. And with a bit of luck I'll find out who I really am." I say, before turning to face him. "Let's go find Red. I mean Nanaki."

We enter the next cave, which has three smaller rooms cut into the walls, as well as a large metal door that looks like it could withstand a bomb, despite the surface rust. I watch a young boy; who's oblivious to our presence, try to prize it open with his bare fingers unsuccessfully. The little boy was enough of a distraction to almost miss the blonde, who had climbed up a ladder to the left of the door and disappear. Rushing over to the base of the ladder, I climb up it, taking in the star filled sky as my head pierces the top of the canyon.

Once I've climbed up onto the top of the canyon, I join the blonde in staring at the large house that doesn't seem to fit in with the rest of the village. It's large and made of brick, and covered with antenna and satellite dishes, but it's most defining feature was the enormous telescope that stared off into space. Cloud walks over to the door as I examine the building and knocks on the wooden door before entering. I follow suit to find Nanaki stood next to an old man that stood behind an oak dining table.

"Cloud, Lightning, This is my Grandfather, Bugen." Nanaki says with pride. "He's incredible. He knows everything!"

"ho ho hooo. I hear you looked after Nanaki." The old man chuckles. "Nanaki is still a child you see."

"Please stop, Grandfather. I'm 48." Nanaki says, trying to hide his embarrassment.

"ho ho hooooo. Nanaki's tribe has incredible longevity. So you see his 48 years would only be equivalent to say that of a 15 or 16 year old in human reckoning."

"15 or 16!?" I shout in amazement. It was hard to believe such an intelligent being was not even considered an adult yet.

"He's quiet and very deep. You thought he was an adult?" Bugen asks.

"...grandfather. I want to be an adult." Nanaki sighs. "I want to be able to grow up and protect you and the village."

"hoo ho hoooo. No Nanaki. You can't stand on your own yet. To do that now would destroy you in the long run. Reaching up into the heavens, threatening to snatch the very stars from the great city of Midgar. You've seen it haven't you?" He asks. "Well, that's a bad example.. Looking up too much makes you loose perspective." He says leaping on top of the table. Or rather levitating.. He sat on a large green sphere that levitated inches from the table. "When it's time for the planet to die, you'll understand that you know absolutely nothing."

"When the planet dies?" I ask, unsure if he meant humanity or the planet itself.

"ho ho hoooo. It may be tomorrow, or one hundred years from now... But it's not long off..." He replies calmly, as if it was natural.

"How do you know this?" Cloud asks, presumably doubting the old man.

"I hear the cries of the planet." Bugenhagen answers.

I raise my eyebrow at Cloud, who glances at me with an equally skeptical look, but seconds later I hear a faint breathing like sound coming from the skies.

"What's that?" Cloud questions.

"The sounds of the stars and the heavens. While this goes on, planets are born, and die."

The sound quickly changes, this time much deeper and coming though the ground. It sounded like nothing I've ever heard before. It wasn't a human or animal noise but you could distinctly hear the pain in it's cry.

"That was a scream from our planet. Don't you hear it? As if to say, I hurt... I suffer.."

"They have come here on a journey to save the planet." Nanaki announces, pulling our attention away from the harrowing sound. "Why don't you show them your apparatus."

"Ho ho hooo. To save the planet? Ho ho hooo!" The old man laughs at the thought. "But, then again, I guess it wouldn't hurt to show you my equipment. Come." He adds, jumping from the table and entering a wooden door on the right of us.

We follow him inside the cylindrical room that's walls are lined with machinery and pipe work, and step onto a green platform that had two spheres in the middle, held on by a central shaft. Bugenhagen dims the lights, drawing our attention to the domed ceiling above that is lit up like the clearest of starry nights. My legs flinch when I feel the floor beneath me move but I soon relax when I feels it steadily lifting me into the beautiful model of space. From below it looked like little more than a toy, but being up here, and able to walk around the planets was like nothing I had ever seen. I quickly search the stars to find any constellations I might recognize but after a full sweep of the artificial space, my heart sinks when I fail to recognize anything.

"All the workings of space are entered into this 3d holographic system." The old man says, noting the blonde's impressed look.

"All of space?" I ask.

"Well, all space observable with the technology we currently possess. What you see here is but a drop in the ocean compared to the universe's true scope."

"Is one of these planets called Pulse?" I ask, slowly getting to my point.

"Ho ho hooo. Not that I'm aware of, miss?"

"Lightning."

"Ho ho hooo! We'll aren't you a pretty one! Why do you ask, miss Lightning?"

"It's the planet my home orbits." I answer, continuing to look at the planets all around me to hide my blushing cheeks.

"Are you saying you're from another planet?! Ho hooo!"

"I.. I er.. Think so." I answer sheepishly.

"Is it possible, Bugenhagen?" Cloud intervenes.

"Of course! Ho ho hoo! This model you see here is of our solar system. Our planet, here-"He say's pointing the a blue and green orb. "is the only one in our solar system that can house life as we know it. The others are far to hostile to spawn life. However there's no reason why every star in the sky couldn't have it's own planets, just like ours floating around."

"So I could go home?" I ask in excitement.

"I'm afraid not, my dear. We have have never been to space. Shinra was planning a space mission, but it was scrapped. Even so, the nearest star would take thousands of years to travel too with our current technology."

"Does that mean she can't be from another planet, Grandpa?" Nanaki asks.

"Ho ho hooo! Not necessarily. I have theories on other possible ways of space travel." Bugenhagen says as he pulls out a pen and piece of paper from his pocket. "Look." He adds, punching two holes; one on either end of the paper. "The first hole is this planet and the next is another habitable planet. The distance across the page, between the dots is a thousand light years. It's impossible to span the distance using conventional means. Now watch." I watch with great interest as the wise elder pushes the pen halfway into the first hole and folds the page in half, sliding the second hole over the first until the two holes are touching.

"You're saying you can bend space to create some sort of portal?" I ask, seemingly the only person who understood his demonstration.

"Smart and beautiful! Ho ho!"

"Grandpa..." Nanaki sighs.

"Is this possible though?" I ask, feeling like I'm so close to the answers I seek.

"I believe it's already been done.. Around a year ago. The planet's cries were different that day."

" _Research log 1. Date is 18th December 0006. New specimen is to be examined..."_

"That was when I got here..." I mumble as I recall Hojo's voice.

Bugenhagen continues on with his demonstration, showing us the damage Shinra is doing to the planet and what will become of it if they aren't stopped. My mind is still mulling over what I've learned when the platform we were stood on rumbles before slowly lowering back to the floor. I thank the man for his time and leave without the others, in desperate need for air.

 **A/N: Sorry it look so long. Been playing the new metal gear as you may be able to tell with my mgs quotes haha. It's a strange one, It's a fantastic game, but an average mgs game if you know what I mean. Quiet is such a cool character for somebody who doesn't talk too. Anyway... back to the story... Let me know what you think, and the next update should be much quicker. Thanks for reading.**

 **Wolf**


	17. Honor Thy Father

**Cloud's POV**

Given the revelations Lightning discovered about her past, I'm not surprised she rushed off. I leave the house to be met with nothing but the cool air of the night on my face, half expecting to find the pinkette staring into the night sky. I walk over to the edge of the lofty plateau and lean on the fence, looking down on the canyon village below. The flickering light of the bonfire below catches my attention first, as well as my small group of friends that encompass it, laughing and trading stories. A flicker of pink catches my eye to the right, heading towards the fire with a defeated march. _There she is.._

I rush down, eager to assure her that everything was going to be okay, despite the fact that Bugenhagen all but confirmed that she would not be returning home. I feel guilty that a small part of me is glad she isn't able to leave, but if I found a way, I'd do it for her. One thing's for certain.. Hojo holds all of the answers. A shiver runs down my spine at the thought of Hojo and his experiments, but the warmth of the bonfire quickly vanquishes it as I walk over to Lightning, who's bright blue eyes glisten with tears that are fighting her for freedom as she gazes into the flames.

"If you got here, then that means there's a way to return." I state, not pulling the pinkette's eyes from the flames. "We're bound to bump into Hojo along the way. I'll get you back home.. Even if I wish you would stay.." The words leave my lips before my mind realizes my confession and I blush with embarrassment before standing up and walking around the fire to find Tifa, who pats the ground next to her.

"Bonfires are funny, aren't they?" Tifa say's as she casually leans back and watches the wood crackle. "They make you remember all sorts of things.. You know, Cloud. Five years ago... It's nothing.." She stutters. "No, forget it. I'm afraid to ask..."

"What is it?" I reply, feeling concerned.

"It feels like... It feels like you're going far away... You really, really are... You, right?"

I frown, unsure what she meant by her comment, but I place my hand over hers and give it a reassuring squeeze before getting back up and sitting next to Nanaki, who just joined the rest of us. I'm eager to learn all I can about the Amber furred enigma, but I say nothing and wait for him to speak.

"...Long ago... When I was still very small. We where all around this flame... No, never mind.." He shakes his head, regretting his decision to open up.

"What happened?" I press, hoping for a reply.

"It's about my parents. When I talk about my mother, I'm full of pride and joy... But when I think about my father, my heart is full of anger..."

"You really can't forgive your father?" Nanaki's pseudo Grandpa questions as he enters my field of view.

"He... Left my mother for dead..." Nanaki sighed, bowing his head in shame. "When the Gi tribe attacked, he ran off by himself, leaving my mother and the people of the canyon!" He barked.

"...Come, Nanaki. There's something you should see.. The place may be dangerous. Cloud, will you and someone else come with us?" Bugenhagen asked.

I nod and stand up, making a b-line for Lightning and offer her my hand. It takes a second to even notice my presence stood over her, but when she does, her eyes shift from the flames to me. She must have been so deep in thought that she didn't hear the conversation going on around her, because she frowns at me in confusion.

"I could do with some help." I answer her silent question.

Light nods and takes my hand as I pull her to her feet, before the three of us follow Bugenhagen up the sandstone steps and into the caves. While she seemed to be the more capable in dangerous situations compared to the rest, my choice was a way of keeping her busy and taking her mind off things. We follow the old man; who's levitating sphere moves at a brisk pace, until we reach the metal door that the young village kid was trying to open to no avail a few hours ago. I watch curiously as the old man fiddles with a rusted cylinder to the left of the door, until the sound of heavy duty motors echo their deep whine through the sandstone as the door slides open.

"Ho ho hoooo! All right, come in!"

"Okay. You lead the way, Grandpa..." Nanaki replies sheepishly.

"What, are you crazy? It's dangerous in there. I told you that!" He laughs. "You want an old man like me to go in first?"

Foreseeing an argument, Light walks past us all and enters the dark room without a care in the world. I follow her instantly, and find her with the tips of her boots dangling over a wide hole in the ground. Glancing down the roughly carved hole, I see several rocky platforms we can use to get down, and leap to the first one, hoping it wouldn't crumble under my feet. A gentle tap behind me causes me to turn, to find the pinkette had leapt from the platform to join me, but she didn't stop. Platform by platform she leaps to the bottom gracefully, so I give chase. When my feet finally reach the bedrock, the smell of stale air becomes apparent and the walls glow a faint green.

"Is that mako?" Light asks, walking over to the wall.

"Yeah.. or more accurately the lifestream.." I answer.

"It smells metallic.. Like blood.."

"Ho ho hooo! That's because, for all intents and purposes it is! The planet's blood!" Bugenhagen says as his unusual mode of transport effortlessly glides him down to us. "Let's go!" He adds, pointing to a hole in the wall.

We climb though the hole in the wall to find ourselves in a vast cave that must have been hundreds of feet deep. The cave was lit by nothing but the faint glow of the oozing mako walls, and pockets of cyan mist that seemed to be made of vaporized mako. With no wind in the cave, the glowing clouds of mist remained stationary, making it much easier to navigate without breathing the toxic fumes in. As I get my bearings, Nanaki takes the lead; presumably in an attempt to be the brave warrior he wishes to be, and I have no objections.

After exploring all of the crevices large enough to fit through, me and Nanaki return to Bugenhagen, who is smiling to himself in amusement.

"Grandpa, there's no passageway. Everything just leads to piles of rocks." Nanaki sighs.

" _Grrr!"_

The muffled growl of Lightning was followed by the sound of crumbling rock, and finally a bang, as a large boulder that we all assumed to be part of the cave's wall falls away, revealing another passage.

"There's nothing in this stupid cave!" Lightning barks as she walks back over to us. "Where did that come from!?" She adds, angrily pointing to the passageway as soon as her eyes find it.

"Ho ho hoo! It appears in your frustration, you broke the seal to the door I hid!"

"Seal? All I did was kick over a bunch of rocks."

"You sealed this cave up, grandpa?" Nanaki questions.

"I did!"

"But why?"

"You'll see! Ho ho! Everything you see beyond this point is a ghost. A spectre of the Gi tribe, killed in a certain battle."

"A certain battle?" Nanaki presses.

"The vengeful spirits of the Gi tribe didn't disappear, and couldn't return to the lifestream.. We still have far to go. Ho ho hooo!" Bugenhagen adds, before walking through the door.

Nothing could prepare us for the sinister sight that hit us as soon as we walked through the passageway. A river of blood flowed through a wide corridor with narrow stone paths that laced around the room, meters above the liquid, joining to two walls together.

 **Lightning's POV**

The smell was so overwhelming I have to put my hand over my mouth to stop gagging. There must have been thousands of gallons of what looked and smelled like blood, running into the darkened corridor, further than even my enhanced vision can see. I can only imagine how Nanaki must be feeling, having to spell the rusty smell with such a keen nose. Quickly trying to work out a route, I take the lead, walking up the right side of the corridor's narrow path before crossing over the rocky bridge to the other side. Straining my eyes to find a pathway further down, I don't notice the oily slime on the narrow bridge, and before I know it, my feet slide out from under me. I reach out for the edge, not wanting to land in the stagnant blood, but a hand catches me first.

"Careful.." Cloud warns, as he pulls me back up.

"Thanks." I nod. "Looks like we should head that way." I point over to the second stony crossing.

We head further down the cave, hugging the walls to avoid falling into the blood, until Bugenhagen takes point and stops us to explain more to Nanaki, who was desperate for answers.

"As you can see, this cave leads to the back of Cosmo canyon. Even thought the Gi outnumbered us, we could not attack through here because the passage is to narrow.."

Nanaki looks on, eagerly waiting to hear more, but the old man was milking the story for all it's worth. Even I want to know what happened now.. We continue on until the river of blood has all but disappeared and the rock becomes denser; forming a wall in front of us with five tunnels evenly spaced between it's length.

"Suggestions?" I mutter.

"We could split up and search them all." Cloud offers.

"At this point it would be unwise to venture alone." The old man says, shooting down his suggestion.

"...That one.." Nanaki says assertively, pointing his snout to the second tunnel from the left.

With no reason to disagree, I follow Nanaki into the pitch black tunnel and eventually come out the other side to find the entrance to the next chamber behind a gigantic spiders web. At first I thought it was formed by lots of little spiders over a long time, but when I get close I realize the silk is as thick as my fingers. A shiver runs down my spine at the thought of a spider that could make silk as thick as rope, and I pray that it's long dead as I draw my sword. Everyone stands back as I swing at the web, needing to use far more force than I first expected to cut through the steel like silk.

With the web disposed of, I turn to the others victoriously to find Nanaki charging towards me. The furred beast tackles me in the chest just as a green spear crashes down into the ground where I was once stood.

 _That's not a spear..._ I say to myself as I take in the full view when I climb to my feet. A four legged spider, nearly eight feel tall stands between us, separating Cloud and the old man from me and Nanaki. Its dome shaped body was only small and was coloured a metallic green, as well as it's spear like limbs that darkened to crimson at the tips.

While balancing on it's larger, rear legs, it uses the front two to stab at nanaki, who dodges its spear like points as they near. I race in with my sword drawn, and attempt to remove one of it's deadly legs, only to be batted to one side like a fly. As I try to catch my breath, I watch Cloud rush in behind the spider, only for it to shoot its silk web at his feet, cementing him to the spot. Seeing him struggle, I take my new sword in the reverse grip and throw it like a spear, but missing my target by inches. Still stuck to the spot, Cloud parries the oncoming stabs with his buster sword, successfully deflecting the spider's dangerous limbs away from his body, until it rears up high; sacrificing it's balance to launch it's two front limbs at the blonde at once. I watch on as he tries his best to move his body out of the way, but one of the legs punches through his shoulder pauldron like tin foil and into his body. Less than a second later, Nanaki is back on his feet and cast's a blistering wave of fire at the spider, engulfing it in flames that leave behind a charred and contracted shell.

Still trying desperately to breathe, I rush over to Cloud, who's struggling to sit up. The blood pouring from his shoulder was immense, and I quickly use a cure materia to seal up the wound. I lay him back down, as he fight me to get up, but eventually he stops resisting.

"Rest for a minute." I command.

"Here." Bugenhagen says, offering down a couple of vials.

I pull the cork out the top of one of the vials, instantly recognizing it's scent. _Elixir..._

"Drink this." I say softly, offering up the vial to his lips as I cradle his head.

He drinks it without protest as I smile to myself when I remember Kalm, and how he held me like this and gave me water throughout the night. My day dream ends with the last drop of the elixir that's claimed by his lips, and he's able to sit up under his own steam.

"I'm alright." He smiles, before climbing to his feet. "Thanks."

"Ho ho hoo! Excellent! We can proceed!" The old man cheers. "A warrior went through this cave all alone." He say's pointing to what I hope is the final part of the cave system. "Fighting attackers, one after the other..."

"Grandpa... That warrior..."

"Ho hoooo... We're almost there..."

Up until now, Bugenhagen didn't seem shocked by anything he had seen, but when we entered this final room, he looks on in fear. This cave was small compared to the others, and consisted of a wide pathway running down the middle of the room and two pools of blood. The only sound was stagnant water dripping from the stalactites above, into the pool below. What the pathway led to was the stuff of nightmares.. Carved into the stone wall was the face of a demon, with pointed teath that stuck out from his sinister smile.

"What is this?" The old man says in confusion.

"Grandpa, is he?-"

"After death... The ghosts of the Gi. Like stagnant air... This can't be!" He panics as he begins to edge away from the eerie face, which starts to let out a bone chilling laugh.

We all slowly edge away from the wall, apart form Nanaki, who stands his ground. Mist pours from the rock, still keeping the shape of the face as the laugh gets louder and louder, shaking some of the stalactites loose and plunging into the blood baths on our sides. I watch as the mist becomes denser, before solidifying into a skeletal shape, ending at the base of the spine. It possesses no skin, and only muscle tissue over its ribs and arms; one of which was holding a crimson lance. The remainder of the mist bursts into flames, hovering around the Gi demon like servants as we get into formation.

Nanaki is the first to attack, quickly discovering his physical attacks unable to damage the spectre. I confirm the theory when my blade passes through it like the mist it once was. Cloud, who had no desire to get up close like he did with the spider, sent shards of ice towards it, doing only superficial damage.

"It's no good!" I can't hit it!" I shout, ducking under a fireball.

"How do you kill something that's already dead?!" Cloud questions.

There's I silence between us as the blonde's question goes unanswered, and we focus on avoiding its attacks for what could be forever. I feel my limbs getting tired when Nanaki's voice shouts over to me.

"Throw me the elixir!"

I frown at him, wondering why he needed it, but did as I was told. I threw it across the room, only to watch the furry beast spin around and whip his tale at it, batting it towards the enemy. Cloud and I watch as the glass vial shatters on the spectre and begins to eat away at it's body, which eventually turns back into mist and dissipates into the air, revealing an exit.

"Nanaki... You've grown strong." Bugenhagen praises.

"... oh, yeah?"

"Now I know that it wasn't a mistake bringing you here... Come on, I have something I want to show you. Right over there."

I know the new passageway leads outside, when I feel the cool, fresh air sweep into the cave, allowing us to breathe properly for the first time since we entered. In his excitement, Nanaki rushes past us and is first to see the star filled sky in all it's glory. We follow behind until we're outside, facing a pile of sandstone rocks inside the canyon. I continue to walk, curious as to why we were here, but Cloud's arm blocks my path. I frown at him, but here mearly shakes his head and points to the top of the canyon.

"This is..." Nanaki mutters.

"...The warrior who fought against the Gi." Bugenhagen finishes his sentence. "He kept them from taking even one step into Cosmo canyon.. But he was never able to return to town... Look Nanaki. Look at your father, at the warrior, Seto."

I look up to the canyon's lofty ledge, to rest my eyes on something that will stay with me forever. Nanaki's father stood, encased in stone, with a look of proud defiance. His stance the very definition of a warrior. I can only imagine the pain that he must have went through as I count the arrows imbedded into his now rocky flesh. Even knowing it had long since died, I feel it's presence watching over the canyon, as though it's spirit remained on guard. There was once I time I didn't believe in all of that stuff, but on my journey with Cloud, I've learned things are not always black and white.

"... That... That's... Seto?..." Nanaki says, trying to prevent his usual calmness from breaking.

"Seto continued to fight the Gi tribe here... To protect this canyon. Even after the Gi's poisonous arrows turned his body to stone... Even after they all ran away... Seto, continued to protect us. And he continues to protect us even now."

"Even now?.."

"You thought that he was a coward and ran away. But he, alone risked his life to protect the canyon. That is your father, Seto." The old man says softly.

"Did mother know?"

"Ho ho hoooo... She knew. The two of them made me promise to keep this cave shut. They asked me to seal it myself and not tell a soul. They said we should forget about this cave."

"Let's give them a minute.." Cloud whispers to me, turning away quickly when I notice his eyes watering ever so slightly. It must be hard to not know your father.. I lost mine at such a young age, but I still remember his face.

We walk back to the exit of the cave and wait patiently for Nanaki to finish what he needed to do. I eye the blonde curiously as I notice him stagger slightly before sitting down, but he seems to be okay. Keeping myself busy, I find a stone with a flat face and use it to carefully run down my sword, sharpening it's dulled edge. There's something therapeutic about sharpening a blade, and after so many years of using a sword, I've quickly get into the rhythm. Watching the angle carefully, I slide the stone down the blade's edge, counting slowly as I listen to the sound of steel being scraped away into a fine edge.

A few minutes pass and I'm nearly finished honing the edge, when I hear a dull thud followed by heavy metal hitting stone. I look up, curious as the what distracted me, to find Cloud laying face down on the floor, shaking.

"Cloud!" I shout, throwing my weapon to one side and rushing over to him.

 **A/N: Well as promised, there wasn't as long of a wait for this chapter. This part in the game is pretty much the only thing in the world can make me cry like a little girl. When Aeris dies, I'm like, meh... But the Nanaki and Seto scene gets me every time. Also I can call him by his proper name now and not red! Thanks to those of you that are still here, reading my crap. Means a lot when people take an interest in something that started out as a personal thing.**

 **Wolf**


	18. The Kiss Of Life Part 2

**Lightning's POV**

"Cloud!" I shout, throwing my weapon to one side and rushing over to him.

My face turns white when I roll him onto his back to find the flesh on his shoulder being eroded by an acrid smelling liquid. The blood in the wound no longer flowed and looked congealed like jelly, think and almost solid.

"I don't understand... I healed- Poison.." I quickly surmise. "NANAKI!" The furred beast must of finished what I he was doing already, because he was already racing to me as I shouted.

"He's been poisoned." Nanaki says, instantly smelling the venom on his flesh.

"But I healed him! Nanaki, what do I do!"

"Cure will only heal the wounds, the venom has remained and is shutting his body down."

"What do I do?!" I cry.

"We need materia that heals poison. Barret has some-"

"He'll be dead by the time I carry him back!"

"I'll go, phone Barret and get him to meet me half way." Nanaki says calmly, before racing off into the cave.

My hands dive into the blonde's clothes and rummage around for his phone, quickly finding it and dialing Barret with shaking hands.

" _Were the hell you disappear to spiky!"_ Barret shouts down the phone.

"Barret, it's lightning, Cloud's been poisoned, Nanaki is coming for the materia to cure him. You need to get to the metal door on the next floor up on the weapon shop!" I try to say calmly, but I hear the panic breaking my voice with every word.

" _Yuffie! Heal materia, NOW!"_ I hear him roar at the ninja, before the sound of panting and heavy boots fills my ear.

I close the phone and slide it into my pocket as I stroke the blonde's face, which I feel is going colder by the second. My eyes stay fixed on his chest, counting the breaths that seem be becoming further and further apart, until they no longer continue.

"No no no no no no.. Keep breathing!"

"CPR miss, quickly." Bugenhagen commands. "Until Nanaki get's back, you'll have to breathe for him.."

Just the thought of it made me blush; perhaps my bodies subtle way of telling my mind about the feelings I have for him, but I don't have time to dwell on the emotions I didn't think I would ever feel. With my left hand, I pinch his nose shut and take in a deep breath, knowing this is not how I wanted our lips to meet.. I place my lips over his and breathe into him, feeling his chest rising with my right hand. The second that I'm out of breath, I interlock my fingers and place my palms on his chest, pumping it firmly until all of the air is back out. With no response, I repeat the process.

Nanaki returned in minutes; far faster than any human could, with the healing materia which he uses on Cloud. I watch his shoulder as the solidified blood returns to its liquid state and pools up inside the once rotting flesh. Once he's finished, I'm given the nod to seal up the wound with the cure materia, but I still don't see his chest moving.

"Are we too late?!" I ask, praying the answer would be no.

"Hmmm.. Step aside.." Nanaki commands calmly.

I hesitantly release my grip on Cloud and move back as I watch Nanaki rest his front paw on the blonde's chest. His mane begins to stand on end seconds before a short jolt of electricity runs down his body and into Cloud, who heaves loudly as he takes a heavy breath. Exhaling loudly, I bury my head in my hands as the mako eyed man sits up causally.

"Ugh... That spider got me good.." He complains.

"The spider must have been venomous.." Nanaki says. "You okay Light?"

"If it's all the same to you, I've had enough excitement for one night..." I huff, walking back through the cave on my own.

It wasn't my intention to be bitchy, but the last hour had nearly gave me heart failure with all the worry. No.. Who am I kidding, fighting and death have always held my hand as I walk through life. I was trying to escape something that has always eluded me.. love.. I say the word over and over again in my head as I walk, but each time it sounds more alien to me. By the time I climb back up to the metal door, I've ran through every possible reason in my head; from stockholm syndrome to the mako mist in the caves making my mind do strange things.

"Where the hell they at? And what are you all doin' down there?" Barret asks as I walk through the door. "Spiky is okay, right?"

"Yeah, they'll be up in a minute. I just need some air.." I shrug him off and climb up the ladder.

 **Cloud's POV**

"Is she okay?" I ask the others, concerned at her sudden departure.

"She'll be fine. Ho ho.. She was having kittens trying to help you." Bugenhagen replies.

"She was your lungs for about five minutes, Mr Strife. Her care, combined with Nanaki's fast legs and thinking are the only reason you're alive. Ho ho."

"I guess that makes us even." I say, remembering having to do the same to her, not long ago.

"But why did she run off, Grandpa?" Nanaki questions.

"Because love is a strange thing, Nanaki. She cares far more than she's willing to admit. Come on, we better get going."

The pair leave and I'm left to thing on Bugenhagen's words. I head back outside to the bonfire, to find the others are leaving and talking towards the bar. Aeris, who is trailing behind the group, skipping playfully, stops when she see's me and waves me over. My walk turns into a jog, as I rush over to her, earning myself a warm smile from the flower girl.

"Hey!" She smiles. "We've booked rooms for the night. Turns out that there's an Inn inside the bar over there."

"After the day I've had, I might need more than a night.." I smile weakly.

"Too bad. You've got stuff to do." She says playfully, causing my to frown.

"Hmm?"

"You gotta go talk to our stray."

"Stray?" I ask, still with no idea what she's on about.

Aeris says nothing, but instead points up to Bugenhagen's house, where I find Lightning, sat with her feet dangling over the edge and her folder arms resting on the small wooden fence. From all the way up there she looks microscopic, but those pale pink locks are hard to miss. After letting out a loud sigh, I turn back to the flower girl to protest.

"I don't know what to say to her.. I can't just go up there.."

"Since when do two friends need a reason to talk? Oh, Barret said to get your PHS so he can charge it over night." Aeris reminds herself.

I ignore her question and go to pull out my phone, to find out it's not there. After a brief pat down, I try to remember what I'd done with it, and pray that it hadn't fell out in that rancid cave. Finally it dawns on me that Lightning must have it.

"Lightning must have it.." I tell her.

"Well I guess you have to talk to her now." She grins. "Goodnight!"

I watch her skip off to Tifa, who was waiting at the door for her friend, before turning back to the sandy canyon and the woman I can't get off my mind. With only a few hours of the night remaining, I jog back up to the top of the canyon and climb up the ladder. She doesn't spot me as my head pierces the peak of the canyon and I get within a few feet before my heavy boots give me away. Her sharp eyes instantly fix onto mine on instinct before relaxing again. She gives me a faint smile but says nothing, so I sit next to her, dangling my heavy boots over the edge.

"Bugenhagen told me what you did.. Thanks." I say sincerely, breaking the silence.

"You came all the way up here to thank me?" She blushes and looks back to the sky.

"Actually, I came for the phone." I lie.

"So.. where are we going tomorrow?" She asks, handing the PHS back to me.

"North.. through the mountains..." I answer, looking down at my dangling feet.

"You seem apprehensive. What's up north?"

"What used to be my hometown.. It's nothing but ash now.."

"Because of Sephiroth?"

"Yeah.." I reply as I stand up. "Let's go to bed, it's getting late."

"What?" She frowns.

"That's not what I- I meant in separate... Never mind.." I blush.

"Just winding you up." She laughs.

I offer Light my hand and pull her to her feet, before the two of us walk down to the bar. When we get inside, the barman smiles at us as he cleans the glasses with a rag, and I take the lead up the steps to the right.

"Hey. You wanna drink?" Light asks hesitantly, still at the base of the stairs.

"Sure." I answer, walking back down the stairs.

"Two please." Light says to the bar man. "Let's go sit by the fire outside."

I nod as she hands me a brown bottle and we walk back outside. One of the locals is throwing large logs onto the dwindling fire, much to my relief. Despite being hot during the day, the second the sun disappears behind the canyon, the village becomes icy cold. The man leaves as we take a seat on the flame warmed earth and our eyes are both drawn into the flames. For me however, all I see is my home burning, and the man I once called a hero walk through them like a demon.

"What do you plan on doing when you've took on Sephiroth?" Light asks curiously.

"I've never gave it much thought.. I don't really have a home to go to." I reply.

"What about Tifa? Aren't you and her?.."

"..er.. no, it's not like that anymore.." I mumble.

"But it was?" She presses.

"When I was a kid.. I joined Soldier to come back a hero to impress her.. But after so many years, it's not there anymore. I guess I'm gonna spend my time getting you home.."

"And then?" Light continues to press.

"I've only ever been good at fighting." I sigh, thinking carefully about the question.

 **Aeris POV**

I wake up after a couple of hours of blissful sleep due to Barret's snoring. It looks like I'm not the only one who was disturbed when I glance over to Yuffie, who's stood over his bed with a pillow in her hands; contemplating smothering the bear like man.

"He wake you up too?" She whispers.

"Yes." I yawn.

"I can't believe he's still wearing that sailors suit. It's gonna make it all the more funny when they find his body." Yuffie jokes. "Is Cloud and the psycho not back yet?"

I look around at the two empty beds and smile to myself at the thought of what they were up to. I'm dying to see what's going on and my curiosity gets the better of me, so I climb out of bed and slip on my dress.

"What are you giggling at?" Yuffie asks.

"Come on." I grin, leaving the room and heading down stairs.

I navigate the bar's many tables in the dark and walk over to the flickering light that shone under the badly fitted door. I open it slowly, not sure what I'd see, but I find nothing but the crimson embers on the once raging bonfire. It takes a while but I finally spot the silhouette of Cloud, laying next to the embers. I creep closer, with Yuffie in my wake and my eyes light up when I see Lightning, laying next to him, both with bottles of beer in their hand.

"They must have fell asleep talking." I whisper to Yuffie.

"Jealous?" she mocks.

"Nope. I want them both to be happy."

"Bet Tifa doesn't see it the same way." The Wutaian laughed.

"Tifa wants Cloud to be happy too, but I think she still likes him." I say, instantly realizing telling Yuffie was not the best idea.

"They shouldn't have drank that beer. The guy behind the bar say's the people use it to sleep." Yuffie laughs.

"How would you know? You're not old enough to drink."

"Listen, If I'm old enough to travel the world and take on a super soldier then I'm old enough to have a glass of wine."

"Fair enough." I laugh. "I'll be back in a minute. Go put some more logs on the fire.. Quietly."

I rush back inside and pull the sheets off Cloud's empty bed and bundle them up in an untidy ball before heading back down the stairs. In my rush, I stub my bare toe on one of the wooden benches and end up hopping into the door, falling through it with all the grace of a hammer. Yuffie, who's watched me burst through the door, holds up her arms in annoyance after me telling her to be quiet and making a racket myself. After regaining my composure, I hop over to the still sleeping pair and drape the blanket over them carefully, before reaching my hand into Cloud's pocket to retrieve the PHS I was supposed to get hours ago. I freeze when his reflexes cause him to grip my arm tightly but I don't struggle.

"It's only me, go back to sleep." I whisper softly, making him relax and hum in agreement, still with his eyes closed.

I wave Yuffie back from the fire and the two of us make our way back to our beds. I let out a giggle as Yuffie makes a point of kicking Barret's dangling arm as she passes, achieving nothing but a grumble from him. Feeling content with myself, I drift back off for what's left of the night.

 **Tifa's POV**

My eyes open to the sound of the barman moving stools around on the floor below, and for the first time since I left Midgar, I think about Seventh Heaven, my doomed bar, why is currently laying under thousands of tonnes of steel. When this is all over, I wonder if I'll open a new one, or perhaps teach children martial arts the way I was taught. Then it suddenly hits me. We would no doubt be passing Nibelheim, my doomed hometown, and the start of mine and Cloud's nightmares.

"Cloud?" I mumble, scanning the room for his trademark spikes.

When I don't find him, I climb out of bed, throwing on my leather skirt and white top just as the others slowly come too.

"Oh Gawd... Is it morning already?" Yuffie yawns.

"I'm afraid so. Barret's snoring keep you up all might?" I ask, smiling at the still sleeping man.

"Yes.. And now it's time for payback." Yuffie huffs, climbing out of bed and walking into the bathroom, returning seconds later with a large tumbler full of water. I tap Aeris on the shoulder to watch as I try to contain my laughter when the young ninja pours the frosty water over Barret. The three of us were in hysterics as he started batting his arms across his face defensively before falling out of bed.

"The hell is wrong with you!" Barret roars.

"I had twenty minutes sleep because of your snoring! That's what!"

"So you felt the need to pour freezing water over me?"

"I thought sailors liked the water?" She replies, pointing to the sailors uniform he'd been using for pajamas.

Tears are running down my face I'm laughing that hard and Aeris is holding her stomach as she giggles uncontrollably when Barret storms into the bathroom, slamming the door shut behind him. I do feel sorry for the poor guy, having to deal with us women on the journey, constantly teasing him as we go, but he takes it in good spirit... eventually.

"I don't think he's happy." Aeris grins.

"Yeah well, I needed my beauty sleep. Cloud and the psycho not back yet?" Yuffie asks.

"Back from where?" I ask curiously, turning to Aeris for an answer.

"They're outside around the fire. The two of them drank that herbal beer the bartender told us about and must of dosed off chatting." Aeris answers.

"Oh.." Is all I can muster but I force a smile. It's strange; I like them both, and I see the attraction between them, even if they don't themselves, but I can't help shake the feeling that she's going to hurt him. Or at least that's the reason I'm telling myself. The still angry Barret takes my attention when he opens the bathroom door, dressed in his usual attire, and storms out of the inn without saying a word. "Let's go, today's gonna be hard on Cloud.."

"And you, Tifa." Aeris says softly, placing a hand on my shoulder. "Come on."

"He-Hey! Wait for me!" Yuffie shouts as she tries to tie her bandanna.

We walk down into the bar, greeting the barman who was setting up for the day, and head outside for the first time. There's a gentle breeze but the sun feels wonderful on my skin as I walk over to the bonfire. I thought I'd be annoyed at the sight but I can't help but smile. A part of me is envious of the pinkette, but I'm happy that I see them sleeping happily. Barret walks past me and stands over the two sleeping friends, casting a shadow over them like a blanket, bringing Cloud out of his sleep.

"Well ain't this just adorable.." Barret says with a sarcastic tone. "If you two are done cuddlin' we have shit to do."

"What was in that beer?" Cloud mutters as he tries to work out what's going on.

"Yeah, we forgot to tell you to stick to the wine." I laugh.

Me and Aeris watch and wait as Cloud takes in his surroundings and watch his face glow red when he finally discovers Lightning next to him, still asleep. He goes to wake her up, to share his embarrassment but she, like the Cloud has an impressive defense reflex, and in an instant, she's on top of him with his arm bent tightly behind his back. Her eyes only open when she's already incapacitated the blonde, who's tapping on the sandy ground with his free hand as she get her bearings.

"What ever 'this' is, can you do it in private." Barret huffs, trying to suppress a smile.

"I, er.. Sorry." Light apologizes as she releases him.

"Sleep well?" Aeris asks the pair with a grin.

"Let's go, we've got a long day." Cloud replies, avoiding the question masterfully.

"What about breakfast?" Yuffie questions.

"Make it quick, I'll get the buggy sorted." Cloud answers, quickly getting up and leaving the town.

I rush off after him to help as Aeris drags Lightning off for breakfast before Yuffie eats it all.. I know he was trying to avoid embarrassment, but his words remain true.. Today is going to be hard.

"You worried about today?" I ask, when I reach the buggy.

"Hmm?" He mumbles, avoiding my gaze.

"You don't need to put on a brave face with me. We've been friends forever."

"I know.. I just don't like talking about my failures.." He mutters.

"You failed nobody... Sephiroth did it. It wasn't your job to stop him. Nobody could stop him."

"..Am I running to my death?" He asks, finally looking at me with his piercing blue eyes.

"I didn't mean now.."

"But nothing has changed, he's still Sephiroth, and I'm still me. I don't want to drag you all down to hell with me.."

"Your spiky ass couldn't drag me anywhere." Barret's voice sounds from behind me.

"Yeah, we're in this together." Lightning adds.

We look up to find the rest of the group walking down the steps from the canyon village, all packed and ready to go.

"No Nanaki?" I ask.

"I guess not.." Lightning sighs.

"He wanted to go home and we got him there. It's a shame but I can't ask him to follow us." Cloud replies.

Within minutes, we're loaded up and inside the buggy. Cloud fires up the engine and consults the map before setting off with the morning sun behind him.

"HEY! WAIT FOR ME!"

 **A/N: Sorry for the delay. The chapter has been done for a couple of days but Virgin media have been dicking about with the fiber optics again so I've been internetless (pretty sure I've just made that word up...) For a day. Thank you so much for the reviews and kind words, I'm glad you're all still enjoying it. This chapter is pretty boring. More of a filler really for the next one which will be in Nibelhiem and will be pretty important. I thought of an Idea but I'm not sure about it, so I'll leave it with you guys and girls. Would you want another ff13 character in the story and if so, which one? I'm still not 100% on if I'm going to do it but the concept came to me today so I thought I'd throw it out there for you. If there's a clear YES and a clear winner for the character I'll go ahead with it.**


	19. The Code Breaker

**Lightning's POV**

"Stop the Buggy!" I shout, scaring everyone half to death. "It's Nanaki!"

Cloud anchors on the brakes and locks up all eight of the buggy's wheels, bringing it skidding to a stop. Yuffie opens the rear hatch and let's the panting beast in, being the first to welcome him in. I was glad he'd returned. Something always fascinated me about Nanaki and his wise words and incredible fighting ability were a valued asset to the team. Even after being reunited for only a few seconds, I already feel the moral in the vehicle rise dramatically.

After a few minutes pass, Barret tells the blonde to continue and he does hesitantly, but as the miles pass we seem to be going slower and slower. I glance over to Tifa; who's aware I know something's wrong, but she just shakes her head at me to leave it. I give her a nod in understanding and make myself comfortable in the cramped buggy. It's almost an hour before we reach the river, which Cloud navigates skillfully and begin to travel towards a dark mountain range in the distance. I got used to the unusual snail's pace the blonde is driving at like the others, so it comes as a shock to us all when he puts his foot down, sending his unsuspecting team flying off their seats.

"What are you doing!" I'm the first to shout as I climb from underneath Aeris, who fell on top of me with Cloud's erratic driving.

"That was a little fooli-" Tifa begins, but quickly she's silenced and launches past us all to stare out of the front window.

I look to Barret for answers, but he just shrugs at me, equally clueless. We all try to look out of the front window but Cloud and Tifa's heads block our view; not that it mattered, after a few minutes the buggy comes to a grinding halt and the blonde is outside before anyone can say a word. Following suit, we all climb out to find a tiny village at the base of a sinister mountain region. The old stone houses had bare wooden beams running though them as decoration as well as support and the faded crimson tiles only added to the rustic look of the place. I follow Cloud, who's walking as if entranced down the cobbled path that leads into the village, towards a central well.

"This was all burnt down, wasn't it?" Tifa questions.

"...I thought so.." Cloud mutters as he tries to process whats around him.

"Then why... My house is still hear too.."

"Shit ain't addin' up." Barret mumbles.

"I'm not lying!" Cloud roars, eager to defend himself. "I remember... The intense heat of the flames.."

"Let's go look around." I say softly, placing a hand on the blonde's shoulder.

He looks at me gratefully and nods, before leading me and Tifa towards her old home. By the time he reaches the door, his hand is visibly shaking on the handle as she pulls it down and pushes the door open sheepishly. I'm the first to walk in, fingers hovering over my weapons handle, and gripping it when a figure in black catches my eye in the kitchen. My footsteps don't make a sound as I make my way through the kitchen towards the hooded figure, and I get within feet before it finally notices me and looks up with mako eyes.

"Reu...nion..." He mutters in pain. "Become... one... w..with... Sep...hiroth.."

"I don't like this.." Tifa says, staying so close to Cloud that they're touching.

"He has a number tattooed to him. 4." Cloud states, pointing to a scruffy black '4' on the man's palm.

We search the rest of the house, finding more of the hooded men, quickly discovering that some of them were in fact women; all mumbling about a reunion; all with numbered tattoos. Having seen enough, we head back outside to the others, but Cloud walks to the small house to the left of Tifa's and enters without saying a word. I follow in behind him as he approaches a woman who wore a white blouse and a long red skirt who was carefully putting china plates neatly onto the shelves.

"Who are you?" Cloud asks bluntly.

"You're in MY house, dear. Who might you be?" She replies with a venomous tone.

"I lived in this house until I was 14... No.. this town was burned down."

"You're sick saying such things.. Get out of here!" She hisses.

"He goes to speak again but I pull him away. It's not that I doubt him, but the last thing we want to do is draw any unnecessary attention to ourselves. His face is buried in his hands as I escort him outside and we're met by a team who are looking at the blonde for answers. In an attempt to divert some unwanted attention from Cloud, I ask Tifa about the huge mansion that stood on the edge of town, surrounded by a large brick wall.

"That's the Shinra mansion. Executives used to stay there when they were visiting the reactor." The brunette answers.

"I don't know a lot about Shinra, but I know they're no good. Let's go check it out." I order. "Cloud, Nanaki, lets go."

"What about me, missy?" The weird robotic cat asks angrily.

"I still how no idea what you even are.." I answer bluntly. "Wait here with the others.."

"Stupid... angry.."

"What was that, cat?" I growl.

"N- Nothing!" It cowers.

I smile to myself as I lead Cloud and Nanaki to the gates of the house, where another hooded figure hobbles shakily around in aimless circles. He mutters something inaudible but Cloud clearly hears it and runs inside, sword drawn. Nanaki looks at me puzzled with his amber eye and rushes off after Cloud, who's burst through the door already like a man possessed. I eventually catch up, half way up a grand staircase that runs up the right hand side of the derelict house. The building is deadly silent and there's something sinister about it. I couldn't put my finger on it, but for some reason, I didn't like this place one bit.

It's easy to tell that Cloud has been here before by the way he quickly navigates the rooms, but even I doubt him when he leads us into a bedroom and what seems like a dead end. We both watch as he rubs his palms across the curved stone wall that stood on the end of the moth eaten bed. It seems to take him a moment or two, but eventually he finds what he's looking for and the whole wall slides away with ease, sending a bone chilling wind through the room from the massive new cavity. The smell of stagnant air reminds me of the Gi cave, but it doesn't stop Cloud from rushing inside, forcing me to hesitantly follow suit. I look down into the tower first, finding the only way down is a rotten, moss covered wooden ramp that spiraled down the wall of the tower without a handrail in sight.

Even Nanaki looked hesitant, but we both raced after the blonde who was already near the bottom my the time we set off. The narrow wooden beams were as slippy as I had imagined they would be, and by the time I reached the bottom my heart was pounding. Nanaki; who seemed to have a much higher feeling for self preservation took his time, leaving me to continue my pursuit of Cloud.

 **Cloud's POV**

Taking a deep breath, I reach for the door handle with my free hand and push it open violently before charging in. The only light in the room came from a passageway to the left, so that's where I head, kicking the masses of crudely stacked books over as I round the corner. And then I see him.. After searching two continents for the man who ruined my life, he's finally in reach. Light and Nanaki stand behind me, both taking a look at the man for the first time as I tighten my grip.

"Sephiroth!" I roar.

"Being here brings back memories." He says casually, taking his cold eyes off the bookshelves and turning them on me. "Are you going to participate in the reunion?"

"I don't even know what the reunion is!" I shout.

"Jenova will be at the reunion. Jenova will join the reunion, becoming a calamity from the skies."

"You mean she wasn't an ancient!?"

"I see... I don't think you have the right to participate.." He says coldly, still relaxed.

"I will go north past Mt. Nibel.. If you wish to know.. Then follow..."

"You're going nowhere.." Light says defiantly, taking a stand by my side with her sword drawn.

"Ah.. Option number two.. I never thought that sorry excuse of a scientist could do it, but here you are.." He says with a smug tone.

"Option number two?" Lightning questions, earning a twisted smile from Sephiroth.

"Oh, you'll see.. Tell me, does this place bring back memories? No? What about this?" He asks, pulling a strange brown pouch with a black and red handle sticking out of the end.

I turn to Lightning, who's digging her fingernails into her scalp as she drops to her knees in pain. Nanaki rushes to her aid as I race down the corridor, only to be winded by Sephiroth, who throws the strange weapon at me chest. By the time I'd climbed to my feet, Sephiroth was gone and the pinkette's cool blue eyes were streaming with tears. Kneeling my her side, she looks at me with glistening eyes and extends her hand to take the pouch off me. After giving it to her, Light stands up and pulls the weapon from it's holster as I try to work out what it is.

It resembles a large pistol in shape and is polished to a mirror finish with red and black panels bolted to it. Me and Nanaki both watch with avid curiosity as she flicks her wrist, opening up the strange weapon which produces a curved blade. I could have watched the strange gun sword open and close one hundred times and still have no idea how it functioned, but it was certainly a work of art. I take a step closer and try to make out the strange writing between the handle and the blade itself, but the letters aren't like anything I've ever seen before.

"Do you know what that says?" I ask, pointing to the engraving.

"Invoke my name- I am spark.." She sniffs. "I remember.. I remember everything.."

I watch as she rushes back behind us and flicks on the light switch, shedding light onto the dungeon laboratory. Lightning returns her weapon back to its gun mode and sits in the center of the room on the damp, stone floor. We can see her mind racing as her pale lips move at a hundred miles an hour, mentally talking to herself. I flinch and duck out of the way when she aims the weapon at my direction, before dramatically throwing her arm behind her, where she drops the weapon and crawls over to two large tanks.

"Look.. This is where I was when I got here.. He batted the gun out of the way.. The bullet hit the base of this tank and put a hairline crack in the glass.. I remember.."

"There's books and files everywhere. Maybe one of them has something about you in it." I say hopefully, Enjoying the sight of her eyes lightning up. I dial my PHS, hoping there was some signal down here. "Hey Barret, how do you like reading?"

Despite my cryptic message, the rest of the group race down to the dungeon lab to find the three of us coming through books like mad men.

"What's up?" Aeris says with an upbeat tone.

"This is were Light got here. We're looking for clues." I answer, never taking my eyes off the pages.

"Perhaps this might help?" She says hopefully.

I look up to find the smiling brunette waving two discoloured pieces of paper in front of my nose. I frown at her enthusiasm but take the scraps of paper anyway, earning the questioning stares of the room when I stay silent as I take in everything that was written.

"In case you ain't aware, we ain't psychic. Spit it out fool." Barret barks.

" _I must get rid of all those that stand in the way of my research. Even that one from the Turks. I scientifically altered him, and put him to sleep in the basement. If you want to find him, then search the area. But... This is merely a game I thought of. It is not necessary for you to participate if you don't want to."_

"The next sheet has instructions.." I mutter. _Move the dial on the safe carefully, but quickly. You have 20 seconds. The 4 hints for the numbers are... The lid of the box with the most oxygen. Behind the ivory's short of tea and ray. The creek in the floor near the chair on the second floor.. Then to the left five steps, up nine steps, left two steps, and up six steps."_

"That's only three.." Tifa sighs.

"It must mean the big safe upstairs." Cait Sith says while bouncing on his stuffed ride.

"Safe?" I ask.

"Yeah, you didn't tell us where you were in the mansion so we had a look around."

"Sorry about that.. This doesn't mention Light though."

"Maybe not, but I'd want to keep the papers in a secure place. Especially if I wasn't supposed to be doing secret experiments. It's worth a look at least, don't you think?" Tifa replies, putting across a good point.

"Okay then.. Light, go with Tifa and Aeris and search the house for the safe codes. The rest of us will search the lab." I order, seeing the basement bringing back terrible memories in her eyes.

"Can't we just blow it open?" She says bluntly.

"You wanna strap a grenade to the safe to blow the door off, what do you think is gun' happen to the paper inside?" Barret answers her in a condescending tone.

"Fine.. Let's go.." Light huffs before rushing out of the room.

 **Lightning's POV**

"I hate how even now, I'm forced to play Hojo's games..." I huff.

"Don't worry about it. We think we've got a good idea about two of the clues." Aeris winks.

"Yeah, we'll have that safe open in no time." Tifa says with the utmost confidence.

"How?" I raise an eyebrow in curiosity.

"The lid of the box with the most oxygen. Where do you think that would be?" Aeris asks, testing my knowledge.

"Surely oxygen can't differ from room to room?"

"Depends what's in the room. Come on, we're nearly there."

I'm left puzzled about Aeris' cryptic answer as we make it back up to the second floor of the mansion. I follow her to the door, but stop when I hear the floorboards creek underneath me and notice a moth eaten, red velvet chair leaning up against the wall.. " _to the left five steps, up nine steps, left two steps, and up six steps."_ I recite as I close my eyes and follow the mad man's instructions word for word. I open my eyes again and look around for a number, finding nothing initially and stamp my foot in anger. When I hear the floorboards crunch under my boot, I look down at the damage to see a number scratched into the wood. _Right 59._

"Got ya.." I whisper victoriously.

"Looks like this is going to be easier than I thought." Tifa smiles. "Come on."

I follow the two brunettes across the hallway, passing the staircase and entering the room directly opposite. As soon as I step foot into the room, Aeris' cryptic questions are suddenly answers. The room is filled with all sorts of potted herbs and plants, all of which release oxygen into the air. In the center of the room is a small chest made out of polished beach wood with the word _'Right 36'_ carved into it.

"Looks like growing flowers comes in handy when opening safes." Aeris winks.

"Thank you.. I'd never have figured that out on my own.." I nod.

"We'll you're not on your own." She smiles. "Now, Tifa's going to lead us to the other."

"No pressure." Tifa laughs. "The clue said ' _Behind the ivory's short of tea and ray._ _'_ Ivory is what the white keys are called on a piano are sometimes called. 'tea' and 'ray' sound like notes."

"So we're looking for a piano?" I ask.

"I think so.. There's nothing on this floor though. Maybe it's downstairs."

The three of us rush out of the room with new found enthusiasm and head down the stairs. Tifa leads us through some old, gilded mahogany doors that just about held onto their rotten frame as she opened them. Me and Tifa head right as Aeris takes the left in an attempt to cover more ground and bring me the answers I'm so desperate for. A lot of my memory has come back to me when I saw my old weapon.. Or at least I stopped doubting what little I did know, but I won't rest until I know exactly what happened to me. The two of us don't make it to the end of the corridor when Aeris' excitable voice echos from behind.

"Found it!"

We race back the other way, to find the cheerful brunette stood in a large room with a tatty piano stuffed in the corner.

"This thing cost more than my bar.. It's just been left to gather dust.." Tifa sighs, running her fingers over the piano before looking confused. "They keys don't have any tension in them.."

"You play?" I ask, not expecting such a formidable fighter to play the piano.. Saying that.. Going purely off looks, I wouldn't have had her down as a fighter either.

"I used to. I had one in my room. Mom wanted me to learn." She answers.

"I'm no expert.. But I don't think the insides should look like that.." I point with my free hand as my other lifts up the dusty black lid to show the others the family of mice and the bundle of once taught strings they made into a nest.

"Hey, look!" Aeris shouts, dragging our attention away from the mice. "There's a number on the floor behind the piano! Left 10!"

"That's three out of four. But we have no clue for the fourth." I sigh.

"Let's go check to see how the others are doing." Aeris smiles.

 **Cloud's POV**

"There's nothing here about Light.. You guys have any luck?" I ask.

"GAWD! If I ever see another book after leaving this room..." Yuffie moans.

"Not a damn thing, lots of creepy shit about cloning and cells but nothing on moody." Barret answers.

"You not like her Barret?" Nanaki asks.

"I like the kid, she's a pain in the ass sometimes, but she ain't got nothin' on this one." He laugh's pointing to Yuffie.

"HEY!"

"Quit ya whining, lassy!" Cait Sith interrupts. "Why don't you sit in a corner and figure out one of the clues on that note."

"Button it, cat!" She hisses before turning to me. "I will have a look though." The ninja adds, snatching the two scraps of paper from my hand.

We all turn to her, ready to laugh as she tells us she's stumped too, but instead she stares at it with a mischievous smile on her face for a moment before skipping over to Nanaki and gripping his tale and yanking it towards her. The crimson furred beast roars at the ninja, who's paying no attention to any off us, and is instead holding up the paper over the gentle flames that burn from Nanaki's tail.

"Don't!" I shout.

"Relax.. Look.." She says, handing me the paper. "It's invisible ink.. We used to use it in Wutai when we thought Shinra was intercepting our messages. Heat brings out the colour in the ink."

"That's very clever miss Yuffie... But if you even grab my tail again, I'll use your bones for toothpicks." Nanaki warns. "Cloud?.."

"Right 97... The name of the one who comes before the thunder resides within steel, but only those who can defeat the lost number will live to utter it..." I read. "Find Lightning.."

"No need. I'm here." Light answers, as she walks through the door with Tifa and Aeris by her side.

"I've got the last safe code." I Begin. "But there's more..." I explain.

"They must mean you, Light. And the steel is the safe." Aeris surmises. "What's the lost number?"

"I don't know.. But I've come to far to not find out. Let's get that safe open..." Lightning commands.

 **A/N: Hey everyone. Thanks for the reviews and the PM's. Last time I asked you all about adding another character to the mix, and as always you give me a load of different answers lol. So with that said, I'm gonna stick to just lightning (At least for now) although my personal preference would have been Fang. I'm glad you like Barret, I never liked him in game for some reason but I love writing him. Angry and sarcastic is always fun. Id like to say a special thanks to Lumina before I go. I don't know a second language so I can only imagine how hard it must be to read a story in one and then write a review, so thank you for taking the time to do it. (if it's easier, write it in your own language and I'll translate it.) Anyway... Back to the story.. I've tried to keep it close to the game yet still include the lightning's story, and this chapter is just the start of what I hope to be an exciting few chapters for our favorite pink haired ass kicker. Thanks to everyone who takes the time to read this :)**

 **Wolf**


	20. Answers

**Lightning's POV**

There it is.. The steel, safe door that I hope gives me everything I've so desperately searched for. My hand trembles as my fingers wrap around the brass dial and I'm forced to take a deep breath to compose myself, remembering I have just twenty seconds. Unsure of what the consequences of failing to unlock it in under the time limit are, I tell myself I have to do it on the first attempt.

"Right thirty six..." I mumble, but before my shaking fingers work the dial, Cloud stands right behind me, pressing his chest into my back as his hand reaches mine, sliding his fingers between my own.

"You're shaking.." Cloud whispers in my ear, sending a shiver up my spine. "Are you ready?" He adds, confirming his intention of helping with the dial.

"Ready." I nod, feeling like a child for needing his help to turn a simple dial, but grateful none the less.

Together we move the dial right to the number 36, left to number 10, right to 59, all the time Cloud was tapping on my shoulder in perfect rhythm, silently counting out the twenty seconds. In my haste, I almost turn the dial left, but Cloud's fingers tense up, stopping mine from moving before quickly turning it right to 97. The second I heard the faintest of clicks from inside the safe, my hand slams down the brass handle, unlocking the safe door, which bursts open violently, sending us both through the fragile plasterboard wall and into the room filled with plants. The blonde; who'd gripped my by the waist when we were launched across the room took the brunt of the force; splitting his head open badly.

"A bomb?..." I say in a daze, staggering through the whole in the wall, back into the safe room.

"Look out!" Tifa shouts, tackling me to the ground a second before I hear more wood and plaster get smashed away.

When I finally see the creature, my first thoughts turned to how something so large could have been inside the safe. The monster was one large head with four limbs, two of which equipped with razor sharp claws and the other two were thinner and void of bones. It's skin seemed iridescent, changing colours as the light caught different parts of it's body. My view of the creature soon vanished when Barret buried me in his shadow, stepping between us as he opened fire.

"Trouble just seems to find you, don't it!?" Barret asks, unleashing his gun arm on the monster.

"Aeris! Cloud's cut pretty bad!" I shout, instantly getting the brunette's attention.

"Coming!" She shouts back, rushing over to the blonde.

With Cloud being tended to, I run from behind Barret, catching the attention of the beast, who tries to sweep my feet with its tentacle like arm, but I roll over it and use the sword cloud bought me to pin it's slithering limb to the ground. Joining back with the gun armed man, I open fire with my gunblade, relishing in the recoil that jarred my wrist back with welcome familiarity. He nods, impressed with my accuracy, but we're doing little to no damage to the creature.

"Try using magic!" Tifa shouts as she sends an icy blast at the monster, damaging the skin on the left side of it's body.

Nanaki follows up with a fire ball that burns it's iridescent skin, wrinkling it slightly. Discovering it's weakness, we bombard the Lost Number with elemental magic, countering its wild swipes.

"Time to finish this!" Yuffie roars heroically, holding a glowing ruby orb.

"Yuffie, don't!-" Cloud roars, moments after regaining consciousness.

The mako eyed man's instructions came seconds too late. The temperature in the room dropped well below zero in an instant before a blizzard burst from Yuffie's clenched fist. I cover my face from the arctic wind and lean forward to counter its violent pressure, which lasts for a few seconds before calming. When I finally remove my goosebump covered arm from my face, my eyes fall upon the back of a slender woman with blue skin that resembled the colour and texture of ancient icebergs. Her green hair was tied neatly in a pink ribbon, leaving the pony tail to run down the whole length of her nearly naked back. My whole body is shaking with cold as I watch the woman; who wore nothing but a pink ribbon to cover her modestly, raise her hand slowly, extending her fingertips towards the enemy.

"It's Shiva." Cloud said with a shivering voice as he stood by my side.

The Lost Number; who had seen enough, raised its clawed arm into the air, ready to bring it down on the woman, when the air around it began to condense and finally crystallize, encasing the monster in an icy tomb. Once fully frozen, Shiva lowered her pale blue arm back to her side, making the frozen monster shatter with the ice. With her work done, Shiva's body turned to ice, before shattering into millions of diamond like shards.

"That went exactly as I'd planned!" Yuffie lied.

"If you EVER use a summon in such a small space again, I'll shoot you myself! You could have killed us all!" Barret roars as he snatches the red orb from Yuffie and throws it to Cloud for safe keeping.

"But did you die?" Yuffie asks sarcastically.

"Neither did the monster..." Cloud says, instantly gaining everyone's attention as he points to the melting ice and blobs rainbow coloured flesh that are now taking on a new form.

"Just once I'd like to have a day were nothing is trying to kill me... Just once.." Barret whines.

"Where's the fun in that?" Tifa laughs, clenching her gloved fists.

The monster reformed, this time with four tentacle like limbs and only red and yellow hue's in it's skin. I'm the first to attack, hitting the enemy with several bolts of ground shaking lightning, but unlike the last time, the damage was minimal. Aeris, who had remained at the back of the group as the healer for most of the fight stepped forward and used the enemy skill materia to call upon it's flamethrower ability, but just like my lightning spells, it did next to no damage. As she looks to Cloud for suggestions, I notice the enemy's limbs shaking, quickly realizing it was it's counter attack. Worried Aeris would be the target, I race in front of her as I see tiny arcs of electricity burst out of the monster. I don't think about my own safety as I throw my sword arm into the air, hoping the incoming bolt of electricity will be drawn to my blade instead of Aeris, and sure enough it was. I feel all of the muscles in my body contract and begin to burn as they are being made rigid by the current. It lasted less than a second, but that was all it needed to take me down. My body hits the still snow covered floor as my eyes succumb to the pain.

 **Cloud's POV**

"Light!" I roar, but it's no time to get to her as she goes down.

"Magic is proving ineffective!" Nanaki shouts after another fireball fails to do any real damage. "Switch to physical attacks!"

"An if that don't work?!" Barret questions.

"Then I suggest we run..." He replies somberly.

"Whatever's in this safe better be damn important.." Barret huffs sending masses of copper jacketed bullets out of his gun arm's many barrels.

To his relief, the monster screams in pain, seemingly taking heavy damage from the attack. The Lost number becomes fixated on Barret, giving me chance to attack, and Tifa understands perfectly what to do when I glance at her. She turns towards me and cups her hands together as I sprint towards her as fast as I can. My boot finds itself in Tifa's hands, and with great strength, she pulls up, launching me over her shoulder and flying towards the monster. By the time it notices me it's too late, the buster sword cuts straight through it's monstrous skull, causing it to go limp instantly. I leave my sword in the creature as it begins to melt away and rush over to Light, who's shaking her wrist to get the feeling back.

"You saved me." Aeris says gratefully, hugging the pinkette tightly. "Light, your arm!" She gasps, pointing to the lightning bolt scar that ran up her arm like fine tree roots.

"I'm okay." She smiles weakly, gripping the wrist of her scarred arm to stop it shaking.

"...That's a fractal scar.. It should go in a month or so when the blood vessels repair themselves. Quite beautiful while they last." Nanaki explains. "Was the frostbite and fighting worth it, Cloud?" He adds, noticing me rooting through the safe.

"Clear the table." I say bluntly, scooping up the contents of the safe and throwing them on the table.

Everyone lets Light through to the table where a brown document, key, and ruby orb sit as well as several thousand gil. I was shocked when her hand did not grab the paper first, but instead gripped the summon materia and held it tightly to her chest.

"Odin..." She whispered with teary eyes. "Cloud, I'll give you everything I have for this.."

"It's yours." I smile. "How did you know what it was?"

"I feel it.. It looks different but it feels the same. On my world, nobody but a L'cie could use magic, and during times of great struggle, when we were consumed by our darkest fears, our Eidolon would come. It was there to release us from our grim fate.. But if we bested it, it became a loyal guardian that would fight by our side.

"Eidolon?" I ask.

"I guess what you would call a summon.. We only got one, and it was very special to me.."

"Are you ready? I say, handing Light the thin brown folder, before she sheepishly opens the page.

 _Research log 1. Date is 18th December 0006. New specimen is to be examined. I was hoping for a woman and this one hasn't disappointed me so far. She is in peak physical condition, giving a much greater chance to survive the procedure. Specimen L has told me only what I assume to be a nickname and is refusing to answer any more questions._

 _Research log 2. After three days without food, she finally revealed her name to be Claire Farron and that she was a soldier in her own world. What she reveals in her sleep is much more interesting. Other than the constant calling of a sibling called Serah, she mentions Fal'cie. God like creatures it would seem. I'm tempted to pull another specimen from her world, but my work here cannot be discovered, not even by Shinra. The device has been hidden as a precaution.._

 _Research log 3. Her defiance to explain the Fal'cie has finally broke my patience. It took a while, but she finally broke. I'm impressed though, I've seen 1st class Soldiers give in by inflicting half of the pain. I've began to feed her again to provide her with the strength to undergo the procedure. If my theory is correct, the reunion theory is not bound to our world alone._

 _Research log 4. I've begun the mako infusion process. I do hate how they scream.. An interesting discovery I've found is with_ _specimen C, I considered him brain dead due to the mako and the wound Sephiroth inflicted on him, but it seems he responds in her presence. The injection of Jenova cells seemed to go well at first, but she soon slipped into a coma and a pink liquid seeped from her body before crystallizing into a summon materia. It doesn't seem to do anything, but I've kept it in the safe for further research._

 _Research log 5._ _C and Z have escaped, the bullet from specimen L's weapon damaged the container, weakening It over time. Not to worry, they'll be dead soon. The president has summoned me back to Midgar, so L will be moved there for observation._

I watch Light's face, unsure if she was about to laugh or cry, when I notice a disc in a clear case with the words 'interrogation' scratched into it, dangling out of the base of the folder. I catch it as it drops, never diverting her attention from the page.

"My name... is Claire.." She smiles. "It's Claire.."

"Well, Claire.. did you find what you were looking for?" I ask.

"I know what happened to me and I know there's a machine hidden away somewhere that can send me back."

"We'll there's only this key left. Let's go see what it opens."

"There's a room next to the lab we couldn't get in. Maybe it's for that?" Aeris wonders. "Hows the head?"

"Sore.." I sigh, remembering my cut head.

Light; or rather Claire, placed her hand on my cheek and used her thumb to wipe the blood from my brow, leaving it to linger for a moment before giving me a gentle nod. We head downstairs, all broken and bruised, and stop outside a wooden door on the left, just before the lab. I hand Claire the key and she walks over to the lock, but is stopped by Barret, who gently pushes her aside and kneels down.

"What are you doing?" Aeris asks curiously.

"The last time we opened something in this building, it didn't end well.. I'm looking through the keyhole first.." He huffs.

"For once, Barret, I agree." I laugh, not convinced I could survive another run in with monsters.

"...Looks like a bunch of coffins.."

"Coffins!? No way I'm going in there!" Yuffie protests.

"Good, your voice is loud enough to wake the dead!" Cait Sith shouts, earning him a challenging gesture from the ninja.

Satisfied the room didn't contain anything that would kill us, Barret stood up and moved out of the way so Claire could put the iron key into the door. She turned the key and pushed open the door to reveal a room that looked like it belonged inside the ghost hotel. The room had several coffins scattered around the floor, and all but one of them was without a lid. I wonder if these where the bodies that died during experiments.. If Claire wasn't a fighter, then she may be laying in one of these... We all walk inside and the pinkette heads straight for the only thing in the room that held any mystery; the central coffin.

"Light!? What are you doing?!" Tifa asks as the pinkette places her boot on the edge of the coffin.

"They're dead, they won't mind." Claire says flatly as she kicks off the coffin's lid.

"You'd be wrong on both accounts..." A gravely voice mutters.

Claire, who was the first to lay her eyes onto the contents of the coffin, stumbles back in shock and draws her weapon, as a dark haired man, clad from head to toe in red and black leather, seemingly floats into the air before landing on the coffin's narrow wall with feather like grace.

"... To wake me from the nightmare... You must leave..."

"You were having a nightmare?" I ask, still trying to process the situation.

"My long sleep has given me time to atone.. But I have nothing to say to strangers.. Get out. This mansion will be the beginning of your nightmare.."

"You can say that again.."Me and Claire sigh in unison.

"Hmm? What do you know?" He asks, alternating his crimson gaze between me and Claire.

"Like you said, this place is the beginning of my nightmare.. but it's real.. Sephiroth has lost his mind. He has found the secrets hidden in this mansion.."

"Sephiroth!?" The man gasps, breaking his near silent demeanor for the first time.

"You know Sephiroth?!" We say in unison.

"You first.." The crimson eyed man demands, constantly reading my eyes.

I tell him my story and what Sephiroth did to the town before turning to Claire, expecting her to tell her own reasons for hating this mansion, but she remained silent whilst she weighed up the mysterious man.

"So Sephiroth learned that he was created and about the Jenova project?"

"Now it's your turn." I demand.

"Sorry.. I cannot speak.." He mutters.

"Well, I'm disappointed.." Tifa huffs.

"Hearing your stories, has added upon me yet another sin. More nightmares shall come to me now... More than I previously had.. Now, please leave." He asks, taking his place back inside the coffin and pulling the lid shut.

"Like hell we're leaving it like that!" Barret shouts angrily as he kicks the coffin lid off so hard it hits the wall. "Who are you?" He demands.

"Yeah.. At least tell us your name." I add.

"I was with.. The Shinra Manufacturing department in administrative research, otherwise known as 'The Turks'. Vincent Valentine.."

"The Turks?!" Claire gasps, suddenly feeling uneasy.

"Formerly of the Turks." Vincent corrects her. "I have no affiliation with the Shinra now.. And you?"

"Cloud, formerly Soldier." I answer.

"Then do you know Lucrecia?" He asks with a hopeful glint in his blood red eyes.

"No, who?"

"The woman that gave birth to Sephiroth." He replies flatly as if it was common knowledge.

"Gave birth? Wasn't Jenova Sephiroth's mother?" Aeris asks.

"That isn't completely wrong. He was born from a beautiful lady. That lady was Lucrecia.. She was an assistant to professor Gast of the Jenova project. Beautiful... Lucrecia."

"... A human experiment?" I mutter, feeling a shiver run down my spine.

"There was no way to cancel the experiment.. I couldn't stop her..." Vincent says with a heavy heart. "That was my sin.. I let the one I loved.. The one I respected the most, face the worst.."

"So the punishment was sleep? That's weird." Tifa frowns.

He doesn't respond to Tifa, but instead lays back down inside his coffin. Claire; who hadn't took her eyes off the man since she saw him, placed a hand on my shoulder to signal to us to leave, and trusting her judgment, I nodded in agreement and left the room, with the others right behind me.

"You okay?" I ask Claire, who's still right by my side.

"I saw a weapon, I didn't think we should press him for answers.. Besides.. there was something dark about him.." She answers.

"Yeah, I spotted the pistol.. Are you still going to come with-"

"WAIT!" A voice shouts from behind us. "If I go with you will I meet Hojo?"

"Dunno. But we're after him and Sephiroth. So, I guess sooner or later..." I answer, glancing over to Claire.

"Being a former Turk, I may be of help to you.." Vincent adds, seeing the skepticism on our faces.

"Okay then.." I agree, much to the shock of the others. I may have gotten stuck with the cat, but Vincent seems like he could be useful. "We're going through the mountains, it's dangerous. Are you sure you want to follow us?"

"I know the mountains well.." He replies.

I see the concern in the others eyes, and their concerns are more than justified, so I decide to split up the group, taking our new recruit with me.

"Me and Vincent will set off first. The rest of you take ten minutes and follow. Too many of us walking in a group will be seen quickly." I order.

"You, Vincent and me.." Claire corrects me, giving me a stare that told me I would regret arguing with her.

"Understood." I nod. "You guys take a breather. We'll take point."

We all leave the mansion and gather outside it's gates. I check over my equipment as the others exchange materia between themselves and once I'm finished my eyes scan the group. I see Barret whisper something in Claire's ear before she gave him an understanding nod, and Cait Sith; who is usually bouncing around and being noisy, was stood behind the rest of the group with his head down, not willing to look up at Vincent, who was staring at him with interrogating eyes.

"Ready?" I ask, receiving a nod from Claire and Vincent.

"I'll take point.. She has a lot to discuss with you in private.." Vincent said in a near whisper.

I glance at Claire; who was not impressed that she was read so easily, and then back at Vincent; who was already walking towards the mountains. Waiting for him to get about ten meters in front, I wave to the others and set off with the pinkette by my side. We barely get a step before I feel her warm breath in my ear.

"You're a little too trusting.." She whispers. "He could be anybody.."

"You were anybody... It didn't stop me saving you.." I try to defend my actions.

"We both know there's more to it with me and you.. A connection.. somehow.."

"He could have shot us all by now. He's had plenty of opportunity." I reply.

"His story isn't adding up. He said he was a Turk before Sephiroth was born and when he was, he locked himself away in his coffin." Claire begins to explain.

"Yeah?.."

"Sephiroth is older than you, right? And he was a Turk when Sephiroth was born? That would make him nearly sixty years old.. Does he look sixty to you? And remember the note? He was experimented on."

"I understand. But until he gives us reason not to, we should trust him." I say, hoping she would drop it.

 **Lightning's POV**

Reluctantly, I nod to the blonde's terms and focus on where we were going, which looked like the most hostile environment I'd ever seen. The mountain range looked withered void of all life, flora and fauna alike. There was not a single drop of moisture, patch of moss or blade of grass among the dull gray rock, which crumbled under my boots. I thought Bugenhagen was being a bit dramatic when he said the planet was going to die soon, but after looking at what a single reactor can do to such a vast piece of nature, I fear he was being optimistic.

"Cloud, how many reactors are there?" I ask out of curiosity.

"I'm not sure.. Midgar has eight, there's one in-"

"..13." Vincent answers.

"11." Cloud corrected him. "We blew two up in Midgar a little while back."

"Impressive."

"You've got good hearing for a sixty year old." Cloud says, hoping to gauge his reaction.

"hmph." Was all he uttered and continued to walk in front. Everything about him seemed inhuman. His crimson eyes looked like they've seen the very depths of hell and even his movements didn't seem to make even the slightest of noises. Cloud was right about him having plenty of opportunities to draw his weapon on us but not taking them, but that being said, my hand can't help but linger on my gunblade's handle.

 **A/N: I'll leave it there for now. The next episode will be navigating the mountains and meeting a certain pilot with anger issues. It's just dawned on me that I'm on the 20th chapter and we're still on disc one, and the story is going to continue long after disc three if you know what I mean ;)**

 **To answer some questions.. Fangxvincent was one of the reasons, but I like fang as a character anyway, the helpless girl never appeals to me as a lead character and light/fang are the opposite end of the spectrum. That and I have a soft spot for a brunette haha. The safe is an important part of the ff7 story as it's needed to get the safe key to get Vincent. A lot of people overlook the method of unlocking it and google it. But at the age of 7 in 1997 the internet didn't have the answers I needed so I had to do it the old fashioned way lol. As for the writing style, I wasn't sure at first but I really like doing it now and it helps keep them closer to character which is sometimes hard in a cloud x light fic as they're both quite cold (Not so much cloud in ff7 but in advent children they gave him the whole mopey defeatist attitude) Anyway... Let me know what you think. Et comme toujours, merci pour la lecture. (I hope google translate didn't let me down there :P)**


	21. Rocket Man

**Lightning's POV**

We continue walking through the snaking trail through the desolate mountains, following Vincent, who seems completely disinterested in us and the fact we were talking about him. We've been walking for hours, but the progress is slow because of the environment. It seems like once the lifestream has left an area, the earth becomes bitter and hostile to all life that tries to cross it. The air is thin and dry, making breathing difficult despite our relatively low altitude and the mountains themselves are sharp; resembling giant stalagmites more than anything else. My eyes follow the peaks before descending down to Vincent, who has stopped at a rope bridge, joining the two plateaus together.

"You think it will hold our weight?" Cloud asks, hoping to engage in some conversation.

"It would seem.." He answers, giving the rope handrail a quick tug. "Ladies first?" He adds, stepping aside for Claire to go first.

"Like hell I'm going first. Somebody needs to keep an eye on you." Claire fires back, narrowing her eyes.

"Very well." Vincent nods, flicking his torn crimson cape dramatically as he turns to the bridge.

I watch him take the first few steps, and feel much more confident about crossing when I see it barely move as Vincent makes his way across. My confidence abruptly left as soon as I stepped onto the boards. The whole bridge swayed in the wind and the creaking, wooden boards under my boots sounded like they were moments from sending me to my death. Heights had never really bothered me before, but the chances of me making it across the hundred meter long bridge seemed slim.

"You okay?" Cloud asks, placing a welcome hand on my shoulder.

"Yeah, this bridge looks like it's seen better days.." I admit.

"I've got some unpleasant memories about this bridge.." He laughs.

"What do you mean?" I frown, feeling even worse.

"I..er.. I'll tell you on the other side.." The blonde hides a smile and playfully pushes me forward.

I sigh, but begin to cross, picking up the pace until I'm just a meter behind the mysterious cloaked man. With my hands gliding over the rope rails as I walk, I turn to check on Cloud, who's quite far back; presumably to spread the weight more evenly. That's when I hear it.. the sound of snapping wood beneath my feet and that feeling of weightlessness that comes before the fall. My body flinches in panic before it finally lets my arm reach out for the wooden planks, which I manage to grab onto with just my fingertips. I try to throw my other hand up to get a better grip, but in doing so I shake the bridge, causing me to loose what little grip I had. I reach up to the blue sky as it fall, but it's blocked by a shadow, which reaches down with lightning speed and grips my wrist. The hand, clad in cold metal pulls me up with inhuman strength until I'm at eye level with my rescuer.

"Do you trust me now?" He asks quietly, reading my response with his blood red orbs.

"How did you-?" I begin.

"The how isn't important.. What is, is that you're not down there.." He points down the hole, at the broken wood that's still falling into the darkness below.

"Fair enough.." I agree, standing back up.

I turn around to find Cloud panting heavily, his face as white as a ghost. The relief on his face was apparent and his worry for me was warming in this chilling place. Deciding not to tempt fate, we quickly get off the bridge; which gets considerably steeper after the halfway point, and I make a mental note to not complain about the mountains harsh terrain. _At least it's solid..._

"You where telling me about this bridge.." I say, stopping for a minute to tighten the buckles on my boots.

"It snapped on the way up here when Me, Sephiroth, two troops and Tifa headed to inspect the mako reactor.. And when I was just a kid, I followed Tifa up the mountain and we both fell.. I got away with just cuts and bruises. Tifa.. She was in a coma for seven days.." Cloud answers.

A pang of jealousy grips my heart at just how close the two of them are, but my mind turns it's attention to his defeatist attitude. It seems like, even before I was conscious, everything bad that has happened to him over the years he blames himself for, something I know all about.. For a while I thought about the consequences of pushing my sister away, assuming her seemingly ridiculous claim about a Fal'cie was nothing more than an excuse to be with Snow. I allowed myself to question, 'what if?' and how things could have ended up so differently if I had acted sooner.

"Hey, come on, we have a world to save, remember?" I say with an unnatural chirpiness in my voice.

The blonde gave me a funny look and a bit of a smirk, before nodding and taking the lead. I glance at Vincent, who nodded at me with an impressed look, understanding perfectly what I had done, and follows Cloud into a cave near the peak of the mountain. I'm soon inside as well, and for the first time since we left the mansion, I see something man made. Several large pipes with worn maroon paint snake down the vast cavity, seemingly attached to nothing and several smaller ones pierce the rocky walls. In front of me is a makeshift floor made from a wooden pallet, to fill in a hole where the rocky floor had collapsed and I've already decided that I'll be jumping the gap instead of walking over it. Cloud laughs as I leap over the short wooden walkway and even Vincent seems to smile with his eyes at my expense, but there was no way I'm trusting my life to rotten planks again.

"Why are all of these pipes here?" I ask.

"They're redundant mako pipes. All of the mako here has been sucked up so they were probably dismantling the pipes to use somewhere else." Cloud explains.

"They were interrupted.." The crimson cloaked man says with his distinct gravelly tone as he points to deep claw marks in the pipes.

"Looks like a Nibel dragon did that..." Cloud mutters after studying the marks, making me feel uneasy.

"I take it that's not something we want to run into?" I ask.

"I've never met anybody who saw one of these things and lived to talk about it... Apart from Sephiroth.. Let's keep moving.."

Nodding in agreement, I follow the blonde down a set of steel stairs that are painted the same dirty maroon as the pipework. The paint flakes off as I brush my hand over the rail, leaving behind an oxidized silver colour which adds to the derelict feel of the place. After reaching the bottom, we walk across metal sheets that flexed and bowed under our weight as the path weaved under and around the large pipes until it stopped at a ladder. I brush past Cloud and unclasp the ladder, which unfolds and drops to the level below. Not wanting to let my recent vulnerabilities show, I take the lead and climb down the ladder, which leads to a small platform with a rusted metal door that was cut into the mountain, and another folding ladder. Instinctively, I go for the door, only to be stopped by Cloud, who places his hand on my shoulder to get my attention before shaking his head.

"It's down here.. Sephiroth is going north.." He says, quickly avoiding my eyes when I try to read them and points to the ladder.

"What's through this door?" I ask suspiciously, getting the faintest hint of apprehension from the blonde, who pretends not to hear.

"The mako reactor.." Vincent answers me, sharing in my concern for Cloud, before climbing the ladder.

"Hey.. Why don't you want to see the reactor?" I ask when I catch up to him.

"It's the wrong way." He answers, keeping his gaze fixed in front of him.

"Hey!" I shout, punching him in the arm playfully. "You don't lie to me.. okay?"

"It's where Tifa found her father's body.. where Jenova used to be kept and... Where I stood face to face with Sephiroth.. I don't understand how I'm alive. In terms of Skill, I couldn't have beaten him. I just don't remember.."

"You were just a kid back then. You can't be expected to stop him. All I know is you're alive now.. And together, we'll stop him. The rest doesn't matter." I say, earning a faint smile for my efforts.

The three of us climb down yet another ladder, slowly descending into the belly of the mountain and the faint glow of mako lights up the floor on the final platform below. I can only assume that since the piping here has been dismantled or broken, the lifestream has had the chance to start seeping into the land, giving me the assurance that once we've got rid of them, the planet will heal. _What do I care? I'll be on my home world if I ever find Hojo. Will Cloud join me? Would it be selfish of me to ask? -What the hell is that?!_

"What's that!?" I shout, pointing to a blue scorpion like creature, as Cloud opens up the final ladder.

"The materia keeper..." Vincent answers slowly. "I thought it was a myth.."

"That's defiantly real." Cloud huffs.

"Apparently so..."

"The path we want is behind that thing, isn't it?" I ask rhetorically. "Of course it is..."

I contemplate my approach briefly, but with my gunblade back, I can attack from a distance, giving me the potential to get a few good shots in before the monster reacts. There's a large boulder between me and the creature, and I use it as cover to close the gap. Peering my head around the corner, I take a better look at my prey, noting the sword like pincers on the end of it's six limbs and the two tails that stand at attention like a scorpion's, which are lined with serrated orange spines. It's lance like horn sat above two bright red eyes, and dripped with the cerulean liquid that it had been feeding on inside the rocks. Turning to Cloud and Vincent, I signal to them to get ready silently, and use the boulder to rush up on the monster, giving me a height advantage. I hit the top and leap off, instantly catching the creature's attention, as I use the gunblade's recoil to keep me in the air for that little bit longer. The sound of my bullets ricocheting off it's steely shell worry me at first, but the sight of two small holes that oozed with mako coloured blood reassured me that this thing wasn't invincible.

"Vincent! It's curved shell is deflecting most of the bullets! We need to hit the armour straight on!" I instruct as I land in front of the beast.

The crimson eyed man nodded in understanding, but I imagine the perceptive Turk had already figured it out and was just being courteous. Regardless, Vincent fired seven shots at the Materia Keeper's torso and all but one broke through. It charges at me with it's spear like horn and I quickly activate my gunblade; turning it into a sword, but Cloud had leaped in front of me and deflected the blow before I could raise it.

 **Cloud's POV**

I push the horn away from Claire with my blade, but the creature quickly removes the tension in our bind, causing me to stumble. I quickly recover my balance, but the Materia Keeper rears, raising it's front pincer claws over my head and slams them down. The wide face of my blade deflects one of it's claws, but the other cuts into my inner leg before burying itself inside the ground with tremendous force. With the adrenaline coursing through my body, I don't feel the pain as I leap back to safety and slash at the monster, sending a wave of blue energy crashing into it. The mako eating monster lets out a roar that shook the cave, but was far from defeated. I watch curiously as it takes a step back, but as soon as I feel the hairs on my body stand on end, I know we're in trouble. The feeling of electrical energy building began to grow and I quickly try to think of the materia Claire has. _I'm sure it was lightning an Odin..._

"Claire, catch!" I shout, throwing a blue orb in her direction.

She catches it with grace but looks at it puzzled, before glancing at me for instruction, but my explanation would have to wait.. assuming I survive. Arcs of lightning crackle from a singularity above the Materia keeper, and begin to grow in size, until it takes the shape of a pyramid. The pyramid of golden lightning expands as it spins, and I try to get away from it's reach, but quickly run out of room. Enveloped in electricity, my whole body contracts, but as I fall, I get to see Claire, who is unaffected by the attack and still firing. Somehow managing to miss the brunt of the attack, I climb to my feet and glance over to Vincent, who's hunched over with steam rising from his red cape. Turning back to the fight, I shoot blast after blast of fire as I take up my position next to the pinkette, but the monster is healing faster than I can damage it.

Another roar shakes the cavern, but this one was different; almost wolf like. Turning to the source of the noise, I find Vincent with his arms pushed out to his sides and his fingers curling in pain. I rush over to him, but stop as I notice his height increase and his hair change to a dirty white. When he turns around I can't believe what I'm looking at.. A creature resembling a werewolf with gray-blue skin is staring at me with vengeful eyes. The only hint that it was Vincent was his red leather cloak, which hung from the monster's waist.

"What the hell is that?!" Claire shouts, as she rolls away from the Materia keeper's horn.

"Vincent.. I think.." I answer sheepishly.

"I suggest you move." Vincent says with a demonic bark, causing Claire to quickly retreat next to me.

I watch the beast that was Vincent, march dominantly towards the monster, who for the first time since we encountered it, looked nervous. My thoughts are confirmed when it steps back, only to find the rocky wall of the cave halting it's retreat. Forced into a corner, the scorpion like monster lunges desperately with it's lance like horn, but Vincent rolls his shoulder out of the way and grips it with his clawed hand. With a single hand, Vincent pushes the horn down, before smashing his other elbow down on the center of it, snapping it clean in half. It shrieks in pain and rears up, but is soon brought to a sombre silence when the beast forces his hand into it's softer underbody and pulls out it's still beating heart. Vincent drops to his knees beside the now lifeless body of the Materia Keeper and begins to revert back to his normal self. I rush over to him with a mixture of gratitude and fear rushing through my mind as he pants wildly.

"I.. must rest.. for a moment.." He says between breaths.

"I.. er.. Have a question.." I begin.

"Punishment for my sin.. A demonic gift from Hojo.."

"You can control it at will?" Claire asks, seemingly out of interest and concern.

"There are four... Three of which I can call upon their power when I must..."

"...And the fourth?" I ask, not convinced I want to know the answer.

"I hear it's voice in my head.. I can keep it contained, but it won't submit to me.." He answers truthfully before getting up and setting off.

He seemed far from ready to be walking, but I guess he'd had enough of sharing bitter memories. We don't press him, but what he can do is simply frightening and at some point the others will find out. How they take it I don't know.. Apart from Aeris.. She always see's the best in people, even if they can't see it themselves.

"Hey, Vincent. We're nearly through.. It's all down hill from now." I tell him as I feel the frosty wind after walking through the once guarded passageway that led to the other side of the mountain. "Claire, you coming?" I add, noticing the pinkette crouched down over the Materia Keeper's corpse.

"Yeah.." She says distractedly.

Me and Claire take the lead, allowing Vincent to trail behind in the silence he seems to revel in, and it gives me a chance to talk to the pinkette privately.

"...Can I ask you a question?"

"Shoot." Claire smiles, giving me a quick glance.

"What do you remember about the mansion basement?" I question. "I mean.. When it happened."

"I remember him standing over me.. A metal rod in his hand.. I grabbed my weapon and fired, but the bullet hit the tank behind me.. I fell to the ground and blacked out.. No.. I saw eyes.. mako eyes.. In the tank behind me..." She says slowly as she recalls what happened. "Why do you ask?"

"I don't know yet... I feel like I know something important.. but it's being hidden from me." I sigh.

"Don't dwell on it.. Erm.. Cloud.."

"Yeah?"

"Is that a rocket?" Claire asks, pointing to the horizon.

"It looks like it. Vincent?" I ask, hoping the Turk would know.

"Only Shinra possess the technology to build such a vessel." He answers with his usual emotionless tone.

"Let's go take a look."

It takes us several hours to make it to the leaning rocket; which seemed to be the centerpiece of a small town that was built around it, but once we got to the base of the mountain, the grassy planes passed quickly, mile after mile. As we got close it became apparent that the leaning rocket's best days where far behind it, as the emerald green paint was slowly being taken over by ferrous brown. As we get to the town's edge, I stop and consult the map to try and figure out where Sephiroth could be heading, but this 'Rocket Town' was the last populated place on the continent. To the west was Wutai, which after their war with Shinra is nothing more than a holiday resort and the northern continent was mostly uncharted, other than a small village in the mountains that is marked as a ski resort.

"All we can do now is wait here for the others. Let's take a look around."

"I shall book us a room." Vincent offers, leaving the two of us alone and venturing inside the inn.

"That thing looks ancient.. Those large tanks on the side look like the hold hydrocarbon based fuel." Claire explains, earning a raised eyebrow from myself.

"You some kind of rocket scientist too?" I laugh.

"No, history lessons as a kid." She laughs. "Our vehicles use ion drives."

"Ion drives?" I ask, never hearing the term before.

"It uses electricity and xenon to accelerate particles in the form of plasma. Electrons emitted by the cathode in the center of the drive hit the atoms of the gas, creating ions with the help of electromagnets."

"Not just a pretty face then." I smile, watching her pale cheeks glow scarlet. "So you've been to space?"

"...Actually... Until recently, I'd never seen the sky.." She sighs.

"hmm?" I hum, unsure how that could be true.

"My home, Cocoon was called that for a reason. It was an artificial planet there the landmass was on the inside, sealed off from the sky. I mean.. We had sky, but it wasn't real.. it was all just illusions made by the Fal'cie. When I got to Pulse, the planet Cocoon orbits, that's when I first saw the sky.. The sun... The stars.."

"And you still want to go home?" I question.

"I don't really have one anymore.. I just want to be with my sister, and tell her I'm sorry."

"..."

"... Hey, look at that." Claire points over to a small cottage to the right.

"A house?"

"No you idiot, behind it." She scalds playfully.

I walk to Claire's other side to get a better view and finally see what she's talking about. A small, pink and blue plane sits proudly on the well trimmed grass of the cottage's back garden. Assuming Sephiroth wouldn't be spending his days around a rusted rocket, he must have crossed the sea again, meaning the plane could come in useful. I search my pocket, pulling out all of the gil I have and counting it, hoping that it would be enough to rent it.

"Lets go and ask if we could rent it." I say, making my way over to the door and knocking loudly.

" _Come in!"_ I hear a woman's voice shout from behind the door.

"Um.. Can I help you?" She asks, realizing we weren't the guests she was expecting.

"Could we rent the plane you have?" I ask, getting straight to the point.

"You'll have to ask the captain. He should be in the rocket. I'm Shera by the way. Who are you?" She asks warmly.

"Cloud, and this is Claire." I answer.

"Pleased to meet you. You look like such a cute couple."

"I, er.. We.. She's.." I stutter, feeling my face glow.

"Thanks, we'll speak to the Captain now." Claire nods before dragging me out of the house. "I didn't think your stoic tough guy attitude could be beaten by a compliment. Come on, it looks like there's a maintenance platform on the rocket."

I follow Claire to the rocket, getting a better look at it as I step over the six inch thick electrical wires that run from its body and across the floor. The words 'Shinra No.26' were written in white paint that had weathered badly over the years, and reminded me that if Shinra built it, the 'Captain' is more than likely Shinra too. I follow Claire over a metal walkway that acts as a bridge over the fuel lines and climb up the metal ladder, which looks like the most modern thing about the whole rocket. Glancing up to see how far is left to climb, I get a brief look up the pinkettes skirt and pull my gaze away so quickly I hit my head on the metal rung.

"What's up?" Claire asks, looking down after hearing the metallic ring.

"Nothing..." I sigh, rubbing my forehead.

We make it to the top of the platform and I put my hand on the pinkette's shoulder to stop her from walking into the rocket.

"Remember, this guy could be Shinra. Let's not let him know what we're doing." I explain, earning a nod and a mischievous smile that makes me nervous.

 **Lightning's POV**

I take Cloud's hand and skip inside the rocket, dragging him behind like a rag doll. I look around the metallic corridor until I find a blonde man with a blue denim jacket, working on pipework as he smokes a cigarette, unaware of our presence.

"Wow! Such a cool rocket!" I shout with an over enthusiastic tone.

"You got good taste, miss." The cigarette smoking man says, standing up to greet us.

"Oh my god! Are you THE captain?! I've wanted to meet you for ages!" I continue, earning a baffled look from Cloud.

"The one and only, kid. Highwind. Cid highwind." He says with a thick accent as he flicks the burnt out cigarette butt away.

"Mister Highwind, I was wondering if you could do my and my husband a favor." I ask, using all my concentration to hold in my laughter as I hear Cloud choke on his breath next to me.

"An Autograph? Sure thing."

"Actually, our boat trip got canceled and we need a ride to the next continent. I don't want to miss our honeymoon holiday." I say, turning to Cloud and kissing him on the cheek, feeling his face heat up before I retract my lips. _He's gonna kill me when this is over._

"I'd like to help, kid. But President Rufus is coming shortly about restarting the space program. I can't stand the president up." Cid explains, taking another cigarette out and lightning it.

"Oh well I tried.. Come on honey." I sigh, leading Cloud out of the rocket.

"...What the hell was that?" He asks, still glowing red.

"I improvised." I laugh. "Come on... Honey." I say, climbing down the ladder.

 **A/N: For those who are wondering why Cid is so pleasant... don't worry it won't last lol. I enjoy all of my reviews, good and bad; and any criticism is welcome and will improve my writing. I've never been one for writing, but my love for final fantasy and its characters have made me want to continue on with the stories that I didn't want to end so it's all a learning process. So tell me what you like and what you don't and with a bit of luck, the chapters will get better and better. As far as this story goes, we're only just beginning so there's a lot of time for improvement. Let me know what you think, and as always, thanks for reading.**

 **Wolf**


	22. Crash Landing

**Cloud's POV**

"You hear that? Rufus is coming here. Maybe he knows where Sephiroth is heading." Claire talks as we walk back over the bridge that runs over the fuel lines. "You listening?"

"Yeah, I er... Sorry." I mumble, having no idea what she was talking about. Instead my mind wandered to the pinkette's lips, something I wanted to avoid. Ever since she told me that she wanted to go home, I convinced myself that I shouldn't get attached to her, but I can't help but be drawn to her. The feel of the rose haired beauty's lips on my cheek lingers as we make our way back into the center of the village, where we find Shera waving through her window at us. We walk over to her and enter the house, where she's stood, waiting for us to tell her what Cid said.

"Did the captain say anything?" She asks curiously.

"Nope.." I sigh as the door behind me bursts open.

"Shit! Shera. What are you, blind?!" The chain smoking pilot rants. "We got guests! GET SOME TEA!"

"I..I'm sorry!" The poor woman apologizes as she rushes over to the kitchen.

"Really, don't mind us." I say, not wanting to cause a problem between the two.

"Sit down in those chairs and drink your goddamn tea!" He barks. "Shera! I'll be in the back yard tunin' up Tiny Bronco! Make sure you serve them some tea!" Cid adds before leaving through the back door.

"Sorry. It's our fault." I quickly apologize as I grab Claire's shaking fist subtly and rub it with my thumb. _Please don't start a fight..._

"No, no. He's always like this." Shera says, unfazed by Cid's words.

"What's his problem? Want me to rough him up?" Claire offers jokingly.. or at least I think she's joking..

"No... It's because of my stupid mistake.. I was the one who destroyed his dream of being the first man in space.."

"What happened?" I ask.

"I was one of the engineers for the space mission. We spent months and months checking and rechecking everything, but I wasn't happy with the results of one of the O2 tanks.. It would occasionally suffer from a pressure spike that could have been dangerous.. The others said it would be fine.. Even Cid told me not to worry... On the day of the launch, Cid sat in the seat of the rocket, ready to make his dreams a reality.. They initiated the launch sequence but the alarm went off in the oxygen tank compartment, because I was still inside working on it. I knew I was going to die, but it was for a greater good, so I didn't care.. Cid pressed the emergency abort switch to save my life, and Shinra never bothered to reschedule the launch.."

"It still doesn't give him the excuse to treat you like that." Claire huffs.

"I don't mind. He saved my life."

"Shera! You still haven't served TEA!" Cid roars as he walks back in to find us all talking.

"Hurry up and sit down! Or ain't my hospitality good enough for ya?!" The pilot barks. "They're late... Where is rufus?"

"Claire..." I mutter as I feel her shaking with anger.

"If I kill him we can have the plane.." She whispers back.

Before I get time to respond, the front door bursts open and someone familiar walks through the door. The fat old man that we cornered at the top of Shinra HQ when the president was killed. Palmer. I thought we'd have to find our way out of the house, but the man looks right ask us, before turning to the sound of Shera's tea being brewed. _He must have forgotten us..._

"Well, if it ain't fat man, Palmer. How long were you figurin' on keepin' me waitin'?" Cid moans. "When's the space program gonna start up again?"

"Hey-hey! I don't know. The president's outside, why don't you ask him?"

"Good for nothing fat bastard..." Cid mumbles before rushing outside.

"Don't say fat.." Palmer sighs, before perking up again when I looks as Shera's tea. "Can I have some too? With lotsa sugar and honey and lard?"

I walk over to the window and glance out of it, to find Rufus; who was surrounded by guards, across the street, talking to Cid. Opening the door slightly, I poke my head outside in an attempt to listen into their conversation. A shiver runs down my spine when I feel Claire's hand on my back as she attempts to peer over me for a better view.

"Is Hojo with him?" She asks.

"I don't see him.. If you thought Cid was angry before, you should see him now. Looks like he's ready to punch Rufus..." I say, suppressing a laugh. "He wants to borrow the plane by the sounds of it. No mention of the space program.."

"Um, excuse me.." I hear Shera nervously mutter behind us. "Palmer has gone outside.. I think he's going to steal the Tiny Bronco."

"Like hell he is." Claire says defiantly, drawing her weapon and racing outside with me right behind her.

"...Why do I have to do this?... I'm the head of the space program.." Palmer mutters to himself as he struggles to force his large carcass onto the plane's wing.

"We'll be taking the plane.." I state, announcing my presence to the man, who darts around in shock.

"I've seen you somewhere before.." I see the cogs working in his mind as he recalls the last time we met, instantly drawing a weapon as he remembers. "In the Shinra building! When the president was killed!" He gulps, quickly trying to reach in and operate the aircraft, before she sound of a bullet ringing past his head and burying itself into the ground stops him.

The sound of his cape rippling in the wind gives him away, but I turn around anyway as Vincent leaps from the roof and lands next to me with his smoking weapon resting casually by his side.

"I fear that I booked the room in vain.." He says in his usual gravely monotone.

"You might be right there." I grin, wondering when we'd ever get chance to rest.

Claire has her gunblade's barrel aimed at the Shinra fat cat's chest, but Palmer fakes surrender, firing off a shot from his strange pistol as he begins to lower it, sending a ball of flame in our direction. The three of us dive out of the way as the flames hit Cid's garden fence, sending fragments of charred wood in all directions. He continues to fire wildly, each time sending an elemental force our way as his hands blindly stretch into the cockpit and maul with the instruments, eventually finding the engine start button. The plane fires it's twin propeller engines up with a deafening roar as Claire manages to hit Palmer in the leg, knocking him off the plane, which is beginning to move of its own accord.

"I believe your phone is ringing..." Vincent says calmly, somehow managing to hear the PHS over the engines and gunfire.

"I'm a little busy at the minute!" I shout down the phone as I take cover from the head of the space program, who's limping away. "A shinra what?!" I ask, trying to work out what he was saying.

As it turns out, I didn't have to wait long for my answer. Palmer; who had manage to clamber over the fence to what he thought was safety, didn't see the Shinra truck that came barreling towards him with murderous intent. The shinra executive was hit with the full force of several tonnes of Shinra truck, knocking him to the ground before ending up under the wheels as it came to a screeching stop.

"A Shinra truck!" Barret shout's as he opens the door of the truck. "Anyone who don't wanna see the insides of a fat Shinra employee better not look under the truck!" He says, jumping out onto the blood soaked grass.

"Delightful.." Nanaki huffs.

"What's going on?" Aeris asks, looking around at the chaos.

"No time to explain. Everyone climb onto the plane!" I order, leaping onto the plane's wing and racing to the cockpit.

"You know how to fly this, right?" Tifa asks with worry in her voice.

"Not a clue." I answer truthfully, earning a look of dread from Barret. "But it looks like it's gonna take off anyway! Hold on!"

I grip the control stick as the plane bursts through the small picket fence and towards the trees in the distance. I pull up on the sticks, achieving nothing but dropping the tail down slightly as I try to familiarize myself with the controls before we plow into the trees; that's when I feel Claire's hand slip under my own and push a lever forward as she rests her chin on my shoulder. The Tiny Bronco picks up speed dramatically and I feel the wheels skip over the ground as the pinkette's soft hand guides my own on the sticks, pulling us into the air and over the treeline. At this point, nothing the rose haired woman did surprised me, but I couldn't help breath a sigh of relief when we skipped over the trees.

"They're firing at us!" Tifa yells as she holds onto the fuselage.

"It's Rufus! Get me closer so I can shoot that son of a bitch!" Barret yells.

"You got this?" Claire says in my ear, to which I nod confidently. "Good, because he can't shoot straight.."

"I heard that!"

Now that we're in the air, I quickly take in all of the controls around me, noting the throttle on my right as well as the landing gear switches below the many gauges. I push the sticks to the left slightly and pull back, causing the plane to arc slowly around the leaning rocket before pushing the sticks down into a dive. The plane begins to accelerate as it dives, so I ease off on the throttle as I level out while bullets pierce it's undercarriage. In front of me, I see Cid make a break for it, sprinting as fast as his legs would take him with a spear in his hand as Rufus dives out of the way of Claire and Vincent's precision gunfire.

 **Lightning's POV**

I feel the plane go into a gentle dive as we head towards Rufus, who's surrounded by guards, who are all firing wildly at us, punching several holes into the wings. Straight in front of us is the foul mouthed pilot, who's racing away from the Shinra troops. As we fly over them, the left hand tail section plunges down briefly as several well aimed bullets tear into it, causing the whole aircraft to shake uncontrollably as it pours with smoke. To all of our shock, a denim clad arm throws itself from underneath the fuselage, before a head; still equipped with a cigarette makes an appearance.

"I'm beginning to think that you two aren't a recently married couple!" Cid barks.

"Who the hell is this?!" Barret shouts.

"This is my plane! Who the hell are you?!" He fires back defensively.

"Cid! The controls are unresponsive! What do I do?!" Cloud shouts from the cockpit as the plane leaves the coast.

"MOVE!" Cid roars, as he leans into the cockpit. "Shit! Tails been hit!"

"...Emergency landing?" The blonde asks, fearing the answer.

"This's gonna be a big splash! Hold onto your drawers, and don't piss in 'em!"

I know there's only seconds before we hit the water, and at this speed, it may as well be concrete. I'm laying on the center of the hull, directly behind the cockpit, and I mentally try to work out just where I'd be send flying when we hit the water. The screeching sound of fingers desperately trying to grip the slippy metal surface to my left catches my attention, and I turn just in time to grip Aeris' wrist and pull her up. With only a second to spare, I pull her forward and throw her hand onto Cloud's shoulder pauldron, in the hope that he serves as an anchor for her and she isn't launched off the plane. We hit the water with all the forced I imagined and more, and I feel my knee come out of it's socket before my world turns black.

My eyes refuse to open, but I hear heavy breathing as I'm carried out of the freezing water and laid to rest on what feels like a warm, sandy beach. The sound of the sea washing up onto the shore does nothing to rouse me to consciousness, but the sound of a body laying next to me and letting out a lazy sigh does. Slowly, my eyes begin to flicker, to find the pale blue sky staring back at me. I glance over to my left to find Aeris laying beside me, staring at the sky with a contented smile.

"Such a lovely day, don't you think?" She says with her usual happy tone.

"If you say so.." I huff, sitting up with a struggle.

"For someone who acts cold all of the time, you're very selfless, ya know."

"Don't know what you mean.." I lie as I rub my aching knee.

"Your just like him.. a big heart hidden behind a wall of steel... Being kind isn't a weakness, it's a strength." The brunette smiles.

"Him..." I mumble to myself before looking around and finding nobody. "Cloud! Is he okay?"

"Yeah, he put your knee back in it's socket while you were unconscious. He's with that angry man that smells like a bonfire, trying to fix the plane."

"Cid?"

"Yeah, Cloud introduced us before. He seems.. Lively.." Aeris says, trying not to be mean.

"Not what I'd call him.. Where are the others?" I question.

"We're here." Barret announces as he appears behind us with the others in toe; all carrying bits of tree. "Gonna get a fire going and get ourselves dried off."

I say nothing, but instead watch Barret and Yuffie put the wood in a large pile and attempt to light it in all manner of difficult ways. I glance at Vincent, who also see's the obvious solution, but he shakes his head and smiles with his eyes, silently telling me to let them struggle for a bit longer. Yuffie pushes the much larger man away from the pile of wood after ten minutes of him rubbing two of the lager sticks together, achieving nothing but splintered fingers.

"See! I told you that wouldn't work, caveman!" Yuffie barks. "Watch and learn. Wutian's can start fires in seconds!"

"Go for it, squirt! You just full of-"

"Now now, Barret.. You've had ten minutes. It's her turn now." Tifa playfully scalds.

We were all intrigued by Yuffie's technique and watched closely as she used her shuriken to cut a flat face onto one of the largest logs, before using one of her weapon's four tips to scrape out a small hole near the center. Next, she searched through the pile and eventually selected a straight branch that was a little thicker than her thumb and placed the end in the hole. Clapping her hands over the top of the stick, she began to rub them together, spinning the stick in the whole with impressive speed. Sure enough though, Yuffie's arms grow tired and she begins to slow down.

"It's because it's the wrong wood!" The ninja begins to make excuses.

"You mean the non flammable kind?" Cait Sith laughs.

"Shut up, Cat!" Yuffie barks. "You think this is funny, Vincent! You do it then!" She adds, hearing a rare laugh from the cloaked man.

Vincent doesn't reply to the young girl's words, but instead holds his hand out and sends a small fireball into the center of the logs, lightning them instantly and making the ninja and Barret look stupid.

"The fact you have survived this long is a miracle.." He says quietly before walking up towards one of the many hills behind us.

With a smile on my face, I stand up and limp over to the shoreline, where I see Cloud, waist deep in water, trying to fix the plane. I don't see Cid at first, and part of me hoped Cloud had drowned the foul mouthed pilot, but wisps of smoke lead my eyes to the man; who was underneath the wing, tightening something up as he swore to himself.

"Any luck?" I ask.

"We've got the rudder working." The blonde answers.

"And the engines." Cid says defiantly. "See if she'll start up, kid."

Despite frowning at being called 'kid' Cloud does as he's told and wades over to the cockpit and leans in, pressing the engine start button. The engines cough and splutter, but eventually fire up, and after about thirty seconds, he's ordered to turn it back off again. To both of our surprise, Cid slams his fist into the fuselage and curses loudly in anger.

"Fan-fucking-tastic!" He barks.

"Problem?" I ask, already knowing the answer.

"The hydraulic fluid reservoir has burst. The control surfaces on the wing wont work anymore."

"Sooo..." Cloud says, waiting for a better explanation."

"It means she won't fly no more!"

"Can we use it as a boat?" Cloud asks, causing me laugh at his lack of tact over than man's pride and joy.

"Do whatever the hell you want!" Cid huffs before storming out of the water and matching to the fire.

"I think you hit a nerve. Get out of the water and come sit near the fire, you'll get cold." I command, feeling awkwardly motherly as I said it.

"You went from my wife to my mom fast." He teases as he walks out of the water and follows me to the fire.

"Yo, spiky! You got some master plan?" Barret shouts as he sees us walk over. "One that doesn't involve following her around like a lost puppy."

"We can use the plane as a boat. I want to head to the northern continent. I think Sephiroth is there." Cloud answers, ignoring Barret's digs.

"Well erm... Can't we rest today? Have an early night and set off at first light? There's less chance of Shinra following us." Yuffie pleads.

I watch Cloud survey the group he's come to know and love and notes their tired and defeated eyes. Like every good leader, he thinks about the long term, and decides loosing a few hours but having a more driven and stronger team would benefit him more in the days to come. He looks to me for a final verdict, and much to Yuffie's pleasure, I nod, hearing everyone let out a sigh of relief.

"And while I'm thinking about good ideas-" Yuffie begins.

"Like the fire?" Aeris giggles.

"We've got a lot of materia between us. Why don't we pool it all together, see what we've got so we can equip ourselves better."

"That's actually not a bad idea, kid." Cid says, as he lights what must be his tenth cigarette of the hour on the fire.

"Okay then. All materia in the bag." Yuffie orders, as she holds out a large leather pouch and walks around the group, collecting it all. "Right then. Let's get some sleep and we can sort it out tomorrow when we're fresh."

"I'm impressed miss Yuffie.. You have become quite mature." Nanaki compliments.

"I wouldn't go that far..." I mutter to myself.

"Vincent?" Cloud shouts as he see's his friend emerge from the shadows. "Anything?"

"Nobody in the immediate vicinity.. It seems safe to make camp.." He answers, taking a seat next to Nanaki.

"Perfect!" Aeris yawns. "Night everyone."

Everyone grumbles their goodnights, and makes themselves comfortable on the warm sand. I lay down and stare at the darkening sky for a moment before glancing over to Cid, who flicks hit cigarette but into the fire and pulls out the crushed cigarette packet from his jacket pocket. I'm about to tell him to go to sleep when I watch him pull a small picture out of the packet which I can just make out to be Shera. He stares at it for a moment, before placing it back in his pocket. _Perhaps there's a heart in there after all..._

With nothing else to do, I roll onto my side, facing the blonde; who lay on his back with his usual stoic expression on his face, but I still cant relax. What felt like an hour passes as I toss and turn in the sand, becoming more irritated by it's presence in my hair and clothes, when I feel a warm hand grip my own. He says nothing, but gently pulls me over to him and guides my head onto his chest, before resting his hand on the top of my arm. I don't think about whats just happened too much, and instead focus on his steady heartbeat as my eyes slowly stop fighting.

 **Yuffie's POV**

"Muhaha.. too easy..." I laugh to myself as I sit up, happy that everyone is asleep.

The faint crackling of the embers mask my footsteps as I sneak over to the bag of materia and quietly pick it up; being careful not to spill any. I almost want to wake Tifa and Aeris up to see what they make of the moody, pink haired woman draped over the idiot, but my mission is important. Once I bring the materia back to Wutai, my dad will have to acknowledge that I'm not some kid anymore and my home should not be a tourist attraction. I want my town's pride back, and with this materia, I'm gonna stick it to the Shinra scumbags.

With my prize in my hands, I slip away into the night, undetected, like the true ninja I am.

"Ow! Stupid rock.." I curse, rubbing my toe, before limping to my homeland.

 **Tifa's POV**

The sunlight over the horizon slowly forces my eyes open, and I'm the first to rise. I sit up and poke the embers with a stick, bringing the fire back to life as I throw whats left of the wood on top. I rub my legs in an attempt to get some heat into them when I find Claire in Cloud's embrace. It hurts, knowing it could quite easily be me there, but after all of those years of indecision and our time apart, I guess he's moved on. That being said, despite her flaws, Claire was someone I'd be happy for Cloud to end up with..

"Yuffie?" I say, quickly noticing her absence, before I notice what else is missing. "EVERYONE UP!" 

"Who? What!? Wa?!" Cid shouts in confusion as he sits bolt upright.

"Tifa?" Vincent says, raising an eyebrow, just moments after opening his crimson eyes.

"Yuffie's stole the materia!" My words quickly rousing everyone.

"I'mma kill her..." Barret mutters.

"Nanaki, can you track her?" Cloud asks.

"She went that way." Claire says, pointing to the randy footprints that lead up into the hills. "Odin, I'm coming.. Let's get her."

 **A/N: Someone's in trouble... The next chapter will be Wutai and a game of cat and mouse. I'm glad you like the fight scenes. They're a little short but upto now, there hasn't been anything truly challenging. I changed the Palmer fight scene slightly because it seemed a bit stupid that they'd struggle fighting a fat old man and the random Shinra truck needed a bit of explaining lol. Claire has warmed up quickly to the others. It's a combination of accepting her situation and just forming bonds. It needed to happen quickly because of what is to come that I can't really say. (It's a surprise!) Chapter took a little longer than usual because I updated my other story (also a Cloud x Light story) which I'm going to continue along side this. If you want more 'love' give them a read. A new world and its sequel, the great mako war. Thanks for reading.**

 **Wolf**


	23. Ninja Hunting

**Cloud's POV**

"That little shit took mine too!" Cid barks when he discovers all of the materia is gone. "How the hell did I end up getting roped into this with you numbskulls?!"

"Numbskulls?" I say flatly, focusing my attention on the ninja's footprints.

"Anybody goin' after Shinra has gotta be a numbskull! Ahh what the hell, If it means I get to kick Palmer and that smug son of a bitch president in the ass, I'm in!"

"Let's just keep moving.." Vincent says, annoyed by the pilots voice.

I'm reluctant to go wandering away from our transport, but all hope of stopping Sephiroth are in the hands of a kid. Another hour passes and Nanaki takes the lead when the footprints seem to stop; using his unrivaled nose to track her scent. With every step I take, I'm preparing myself for the 'I told you so' from Claire, who knew she was a thief from the beginning, but it does not come. I watch her as she focuses on the horizon with a hawk like stare. I'm less than impressed with the ninja, but I can only imagine what she's planning to do to her.

"Where are we heading?" I ask aloud, hoping one of us would know.

"I thought you were some tough guy Soldier. We're heading to Wutai, kid." Cid explains.

"I'm a little young for that war, Cid.." I answer, as a sharp stabbing pain in my head strikes, before fading away just as quickly as it appeared.

We continue our climb up the dusty mountain, only to be met with something nobody; Claire especially, wanted to see.

"Great.. Another rope bridge.." The pinkette sighs.

"This looks in much better condition that the one on Mt. Nibel." Tifa says positively as she grips the rope.

I watch the pinkette hesitate briefly at the foot of the bridge, so I push her forward, knowing I'd pay for it later down the line. She growls at me in annoyance, but keeps her gaze focused to the north, hoping to spot the ninja. Once the bridge was crossed, we follow the ridge of the mountains, which snake across the land, loosing and finding Yuffie's faint trail as we go.

"So, erm... what do you all plan on doing when you've caught her?" Aeris questions.

"Shoot her." Barret answers without hesitation.

"After I stab her." Cid adds with no emotion in hid voice.

"Both.." Claire mutters.

"Maybe she had a good reason." Aeris pleads, but even she doesn't sound convinced.

"There's no excuse for stealing.." Nanaki says, but gives a smile to Aeris anyway.

We walk for hours with no sign of the ninja, but I'm not surprised. She was young and knew the land; add that to the several hour lead, there was no real chance of us catching up. Nevertheless we continue on until I notice our pace slow down. I see Wutai in the distance, and I know I can reach it well before the sun sets, but the others are tiring.

"Listen.. I think I can catch up to Yuffie. I'm gonna go on ahead, everyone else rest up and take your time. I'll see you there." I command.

"I'm coming too." Claire says defiantly. "I can keep up."

"Me too." Cid says, much to everyone's surprise. "What?"

"You think you can keep up?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.

"You know how fit astronauts have to be, kit?" He barks with a condescending tone as he lights another cigarette.

"You never went into space, you're not an astronaut.." Claire says bluntly as she starts to jog towards Wutai.

Cid goes to speak but stops himself, instead clenching his fist tightly around his spear and running after the pinkette. I sigh and shake my head before racing off after them, glancing back over my shoulder after a few hundred meters to see Tifa waving goodbye. I eventually catch up to Claire, who gives me a nod as I catch her eye. A few meters in front was the pilot, who was holding a surprisingly fast pace.

"... He's getting tired." Claire says quietly.

"Just humor him. There's only a mile or so to go. You were a little harsh.."

"I know.." She sighs. "I just really want that materia back."

 **Claire's POV**

It takes less than ten minutes to get to the town, which is as strange as it is beautiful. Everything looked overly ornate, with great craftsmanship going into all aspects of the buildings. The main structure of the buildings were carved with perfect precision, and painted in bright red, which contrasted against the black ceramic tiles which followed a gentle curve before flicking up at the corners. It couldn't be any more different than Bodhum but it looked just as peaceful. The sound of flowing water added to the tranquility, but when I walk between the buildings to find it's source, I discover what I'm really looking for.

"YUFFIE!" I roar, causing the young ninja to jump out of her skin.

She bolts like a spooked animal that caught sight of a predator and disappears out of sight. I race after her, running across a wooden bridge that arcs over the previously unseen river and pass a building that looks to be a weapon shop. My mako eyes dart around to find the ninja, but she's good at vanishing.

"She can't have gone far. Lets look around." Cid says as he and Cloud catch up.

"Check the buildings." The blonde commands.

We walk into the first building, noting the assortment of weapons that lined every inch of the wall as the three of us entered. I say nothing as I walk over to the counter, leaning over it subtly to see if she was hiding behind it, before walking away. With nowhere else to hide in here, we go to the door, but Cid remains.

"Hey, how much for that spear?" He asks, pointing to the sinister looking weapon the the back wall.

"We're out of stock." The shop keeper replies bluntly.

"I'm fucking looking at it! How can it be out of stock!?" Cid barks.

"It's a display model to show what we stock. If we sold you that one, people wouldn't know we sold that item."

"You don't sell that item!" Cid shouts, becoming increasingly annoyed. "It's out of stock!"

"Exactly."

"Cid, come on.." I say, standing in front of the man who looks like he's about to leap over the counter and kill the shop owner, and turn him around to face the door. "He's been told not to sell you anything.."

"I hate this place already.." He huffs.

I push him out of the door as I try to contain my laughter at just how easily it was to wind up the pilot. Even cloud is suppressing a grin as we continue our search through the town. The next building to our right as we walk out of the weapon shop had a large sign outside, hung over the door, that read 'Turtle's Paradise'. I walk to the door, noticing a small plaque outside with a familiar looking poster.

"Hey, I've seen these before." I point.

"Yeah, there was some in Cosmo canyon.. and in the Shinra building." The blonde says.

I open the door to find a rustic bar, who's owner smiles at us as soon as we enter. Behind me, I hear Cloud take his weapon from his back, causing me to quickly scan the room. Sure enough, I find the threat. Sat around a table in the center of the room was the three Turks, two of them looking a little worse for wear. Elena; the more professional of the three quickly spotted us and jumps off the chair, ready to attack.

"Yy, you!? How did you get here!?" She says in shock. "Never mind that. I guess it's fate that brought us together. Get ready to die!"

"...Elena, you talk too much." Reno hiccups as he takes another mouthful of sake.

"Ww, what?" She stutters in disbelief.

"What are we doing out here in the middle of nowhere?" The turk asks.

"We're taking a vacation and resting up from our work."

"Now our vacation is ruined." Reno sighs.

"B, but.."

"Even the booze tastes bad now." The previously silent Rude mutters with his deep voice.

"...Sorry.." She huffs, before sitting down.

The three of us glance at each other nervously before turning our attention to the bar. It looks like Yuffie wasn't here, so we leave, still with our hands wrapped tightly around our weapons, ready for the Turks to attack.

"What was that about?" I ask when we get outside.

"You'll not get those lazy son's of bitches to come after us when they're on a break. Sephiroth could walk in there and they'd still be sat down drinking." Cid barks.

"I guess they take their working hours seriously.." Cloud laughs. "At least that's one less thing for us to worry about.. Not that they looked in any fit state to fight."

"Quit yappin', we got a little girl to beat up!" Cid commands, marching to the next building.

We continue through the town, crossing another bridge that spans over another stream that forks from the main river, and find ourselves in front of a shop. Yuffie's gone to a great deal of planning to steal our materia, so I doubt she'll give it up without a fight. If this shop sells materia, it could make retrieving them much easier. I walk inside the shop; hand still resting on the handle of my holstered gunblade, and begin to browse the cluttered shop. Shelves and boxes line the walls in a haphazard fashion, making the search for Yuffie or supplies harder. I watch Cloud walk straight to the far corner where a large wooden crate sits, and place one hand on it's lid and the other gripping his sword. He opens it violently, much to the shopkeeper's confusion, before relaxing again. His hand drops into the box and pulls out a small blue sphere before turning his head to the counter.

"How much for this?" Cloud asks.

No sooner had the word left his mouth, a shadow drops from the ceiling, making only the faintest of noises as it lands. My eyes widen when I realize it's Yuffie and I go to draw my weapon, but she's too quick. She swipes the orb from Cloud's hand, but his reflexes grip her wrist before his head even turned back to see her. My smile at her capture turned out to be premature however, when she threw something on the floor which exploded with a loud bang and filled the room with smoke. My eyes dart around the smoke filled room before I'm struck in the face and spun around. The doors burst open, evacuating the smoke as I watch Cid blindly throw his spear at the now open doorway.

"This kid's turning out to be a real pain in the ass." Cid huffs, retrieving his spear.

"You okay?" Cloud asks, gripping my chin gently and causing me to blush.

"I'll live.. She won't when I catch her.." I promise. "Where shall we look now?"

"I don't think we'll have to look far.." The blonde smiles as something over my shoulder catches his eye.

Cloud places his finger over his victorious smile and gestures with his eyes at the bar. Me and Cid exchange confused glances, but follow the blonde, who signals us to guard the two small bridges that span the forked river. Both confused, we watch as Cloud stops in front of a large pot that is resting on the side of the bar's wall. He clenches his fist, before releasing it on the ceramic container, shattering it and revealing his prize. Yuffie; who was now covered in shards of pottery, bolted from the blonde and ran towards the first bridge, quickly realizing I was blocking the way. Panicking, the young ninja darts towards the next bridge, but is stopped by Cid, as me and Cloud close in behind.

"Y, you wouldn't hit a girl?!" Yuffie states in fear.

"I'm an equal opportunities kinda guy." Cid smiles as he swings his spear around, cracking her in the face with the non lethal end; knocking her to the ground.

"I can't believe you nearly broke your spear over her head." I say, suppressing a laugh.

"What can I say.. I'm a feminist." He jokes. "Besides... I hate running.."

"STUPID JERK!" Yuffie barks, spitting blood from her mouth. "Okay... You win. I'll give you back your materia.." She sighs, giving her puppy dog eyes to Cloud.

I grip the top of her arm firmly and she leads us to the other side of the village and into what I assume is her own home. The young woman kept her gaze fixed firmly on the ground as she unlocked the door and lead us in. She points to a set of stairs that lead down to a basement on to the right, can I push her to the entrance, gesturing for her to go first.

"Before I was born, Wutai was a lot more crowded and more impressive.." She utters with genuine sadness in her voice. "You see what it looks like now, right?... Just a tourist trap... After the war, we got peace, but we lost something else. Now look at Wutai... That's why.. If I had lots of materia.. I could fight back.."

"Listen, Yuffie. I don't care about the history of Wutai or your feelings. You've got our materia and I want it back.. Now." Cloud says coldly, surprising me with his tone. "If you give it back now, we'll drop the whole thing."

"I know that.." She sniffs. Although she wasn't facing me, I could see she was crying. "The switch on the left... Will release the materia.."

Cloud walks to the far end of the room and stands in front of two levers. Aeris' trusting nature must be rubbing off on him, because he doesn't hesitate as he pulls down the left lever, dropping a cage onto me and Cid, trapping us in the center of the room. I draw my weapon and fire between the bars as the blonde pushes the lever back, releasing us, but Yuffie has vanished. The three of us, now angrier than ever, race back outside and scout the area.

"There!" Cid barks, pointing his spear to the furthest point of the river.

I fire four shots in her direction, but achieve nothing more than scaring the villagers back into their homes. I rush after her, ready to unleash a days worth of anger on the girl as soon as I catch her. In the distance I see a large, multi roofed tower that pierces the dense forest, which I assume is going to be where Yuffie is heading.

"The pagoda." Cloud says, pointing to the tower I was focusing on. "-hey, you hear that?"

"Sounded like a bell." I answer.

After making it through the trees, it becomes apparent that the pagoda was not the only structure here. To the right was a house that was much larger than the rest; presumably belonging to someone important, and to the right a large steel bell that stood on a platform of brick, that swayed slightly, from its very recent use. I start to head towards the tower, but stop when I don't hear the blonde's heavy boots on the paved ground behind me.

"What's wrong?" I ask, noticing him look around with a puzzled face.

"Yuffie.. She's all smoke and mirrors. I hate to admit it, but she seems to be a master at evading people.. The last place I would hide is in a tower. There's only one door in and out and a long fall from a window.." Cloud explains.

"Make's sense.. Where should we look?" I ask.

He says nothing as I watch him walk over to the bell with great curiosity. The blonde's hand grasps the metal plated, wooden striker that hung from the side of the bell, and struck it against the steel bell, sending nearby birds swarming out of the tree's. I couldn't believe my eyes when a section of the brickwork slid into the ground to reveal a secret door. Cloud smiles at my victoriously as I look at him with an impressed expression. Even Cid looked pleased.

"Not just a pretty face then?" I joke. _Did I really just say that?_

"Oh, you think I'm pretty?" Cloud laughs.

"I- Shut up.." I shake my head as my cheeks flush, forgetting briefly what we were doing.

I take my position in front of the door, ready to shoot the annoying ninja in the leg as Cloud and Cid stand either side of the doorway, ready to open it for me on my command. When I hear Yuffie inside, arguing with someone, I give the nod to Cid, who pushes the door open and steps back quickly, allowing me to be the first in the room. Yuffie was there, but she was dangling from the shoulder of a man dressed like a ninja; wearing all black and with a sword on his back. Behind him, a man I've never seem before, who was dressed in a vulgar, red velvet suit with fur lining the neck. A cigar hung from the man's smug face, which drops when he sees me.

"Corneo!" Cloud shouts from behind me.

"Haha! I've finally got a new Chicky! Two for one in fact!" He boasts.

"Two?!" Cloud barks in confusion.

"H-Hey! Let go of me! You're gonna regret this!" I hear the voice of the Turk Elena coming from the top of the stairs on the far end of the room.

Cloud advances on the man with his sword drawn, but is cut off by another ninja, who leaps down the stairs to allow the fat man to escape. The ninja draws his sword and slashes at the blonde, who simply sidesteps the attack and drags his massive blade down the man's back, dropping him instantly.

"We have to stop him." Cloud commands as he rushes across the room, towards the stairs.

"Who is he?" I question.

"Don Corneo.. Pimp, drug lord, rapist, pedophile.. Take your pick." Cloud says coldly.

"I've heard of him.. guy's a real nasty son of a bitch." Cid agrees.

I follow Cloud upstairs, to find another twist in the saga of getting our materia back. Three Shinra troops are stood with their rifles trained on the pig of a man, as the three of us make an appearance. Startled by our sudden appearance, the soldiers turn their attention to us, and begin firing wildly. I roll from the first two shots and deflect the rest with my gunblade as I note just how well 'The Don' is able to wriggle out of the situation, despite his large girth. The man put up little fight, and a quickly vanquished, so we head through the building, eventually finding our way out.

"This whole place is connected. No wonder the twerp was able to sneak around so easily." Cid mutters as he notices we have left the large house that faced the bell.

"Hey, it's dumb and dumber.." I mock, pointing towards Rude and Reno.

"You too? Hey have Elena and Yuffie, so this is gonna make things a little difficult.." Reno says to Cloud.

"We only want Yuffie so we can get our materia back." He states.

"A truce then.. But don't misunderstand.. Once this is over, we're coming for you." Reno says menacingly.

"Fine." Cloud replies bluntly, not wanting to waste any time arguing.

"They headed towards the mountains.." Rude answered.

With all of the words we needed said, the five of us rush towards the mountains; which have been meticulously carved into giant statues of their deities. Even splitting up, it takes is twenty minutes to navigate the maze of rocky limbs before we eventually stumble upon the vulgar man, stood on the palm of a giant stone hand that was carved from the mountain. It takes me a few seconds to notice Elena and Yuffie, who were tied to the face of the monstrous stone deity, dangling hundreds of feet in the air.

"Which one shall it be? Hmm...hmmm.." Corneo ponders.

"I'm a Turk! You have no idea who you're dealing with!" Elena roars defiantly.

"If I knew this was going to happen, I'd have taken my rope escaping lessons more serious!" Yuffie shouts.

"I've made my decision! The cheerful one!" He grins, pointing to yuffie.

"GROSS-NESS! -Cloud!" Yuffie shouts, noticing the blonde behind me.

"Well... Long time no see." Corneo says cockily, although I can see worry in his eyes. "None of you know how much I've suffered since I last saw you.." He says, attempting to get everyone to feel sorry for him. Bored of his story, I shoot the man in the knee, dropping him to the ground as he cries in pain. "You killed my little pet last time! Now you can play with my new one while I search for a bride! RAAPS!

A shadow descends on the mountains, as we all search the skies to find yellow, bat like wings, circling from above. I watch as it's leathery wings fold, and it dives towards us with murderous intentions. I fire at the creature as it dives towards us, grazing it several times before it opens its wings at the last moment, forcing me to roll away from it's scythe like talons. Stood in front of it's master, 'Raaps' anchors its claws into the ground and flaps it's wings violently in an attempt to blow us off the mountain. Being the lightest, I feel my feet being pushed back, even as I lean forward to counter balance.

"Fire at the wings!" Cloud orders, to which I comply, riddling the bat like wings with enough holes to ease the gale force winds slightly.

Cloud and Cid run past me, the latter getting only a few feet before getting knocked back by the beast's barbed tail. I grin at the pilot's cursing, but I'm impressed with the amount of a beating he can take when he's back on his feet within a second. Still advancing, Cloud raises his sword above his head, but Raaps jabs at him with his spiked head, missing the blonde initially, but dragging his head back up, cutting into his chest.

"Cloud!" I shout, with a little more emotion in my voice than I care to admit.

"I'm okay." He replies, but I see him wincing as he holds his chest. "Cid, how high can the greatest pilot that ever lived jump?"

"As high as he god damn feels like! What you thinkin'?" Cid barks.

"I need you to pin it's head down, so I can cut it off." The blonde answers.

"You make it sound so simple!" Cid mocks, running up the arm of the mountain god and disappearing out of sight.

"You think you can keep this thing busy for a few seconds?" He asks me.

I nod, not feeling the need for words as I notice a deep gash in Cloud's chest. It doesn't seem to be affecting him, but I'm struggling to think of anything else other than fixing him. I could only hope that once this was over, Aeris would have reached the town with the others. Although slightly jealous of the woman's ability to command the blonde's attention whenever she wanted it, Cloud's kind hearted friend was capable of healing, even without materia.

"Hey! Come play with me!" I roar, firing at the creature wildly.

The dragon like monster does not need asking twice, and uses his tail as a whip, which misses me by inches, breaking off the tip of the rocky platform. With the flick of my wrist, my gunblade is now in sword mode, and I use it to parry the stabbing beak of the savage pet as a shadow looms over us. I leap back just as Cid descends from the sky after jumping of the head of the statue, burring his spear into the dragon's thick skull. Corneo squeals as his pinned down pet is cut in two by Cloud, who kicks it's twitching body off the mountain.

"Just wait a second!" Corneo pleads.

"Shut up!" Cloud roars.

"Just listen to me – it won't take long. Why do you think a bad guy like me would swallow his pride and plead for his life?"

"Because he's clueless." Cid mutters from behind me.

"Wrong!" The vulgar man shouts, pressing a button on a small remote him his right hand.

The screams of the Turk and the ninja draw all of our attention to them, as three of the four shackles that grip their limbs release, leaving the pair to dangle upside down.

"Once I push this button, they'll fall and we'll have SQUASHED TOMATOES!"

"Damn.." Cloud huffs.

"hahaha, I guess I get the last laugh." Corneo grins.

"No, that would be us.." The smug voice of Rude speaks, revealing himself.

"The Turks!" Corneo gulps.

"You knew this was going to happen ever since you leaked our secret." Reno explains, fiddling with his hair in a cocky manner. "We're going to take care of you... personally."

"Then they're all coming with me!" He roars defiantly, holding up the remote in his trembling hand.

 **A/N: Sorry for the delay, I've had a busy week at work. We've still got a little more to do in Wutai, but I thought I'd leave it there and get a chapter out. I do like Cid, I hope I'm as moody and irritating as him when I'm his age haha. The Fang idea has been scrapped (for now) due to requests, but I do love her character. In the 13 series, Fang is easily my second favorite, behind Lightning obviously. Leave a review and let me know what you think. With a bit of luck, the next one wont take anywhere near as long to get finished.**

 **Wolf**


	24. Making a move

**Claire's POV**

"Then they're all coming with me!" Corneo roars defiantly, holding the remote up high in his trembling hand.

I watch the man raise his thumb from the remote, ready to slam it down and send the two girls to their deaths. I still don't know why I care.. Elena nearly killed me in a cave, and Yuffie has been the bane of my existence since I had the misfortune of meeting her. Still though, the looks on their terrified faces were enough to want me to take action. With a flick of my wrist, I turn my gunblade back into its gun mode whilst never taking my eyes off the remote. The disgusting man see's what I'm about to do and flinches briefly; but even so, there's no way I could get the barrel of my gun up in time.

"Ugh!" Corneo heaves as the remote falls from his bleeding hand.

I watch as he stumbles back, revealing Rude on the mountain pass in the distance wearing his usual smug expression. A small knife sticks out of the back of Corneo's bleeding hand as he deliriously walks on the fingertips of the cliff, before finally taking a step too far and falling over the edge. We all think it's all over, but I still hear his struggling breaths. Reno steps forward, but I cut him off with my arm, wanting to deal with this myself. I pace over to the edge to find Corneo struggling to keep his grip; his massive weight assisting gravity to send him to his death. Kneeling down, I look at the knife that stuck out of the man's hand and grip it tightly.

"I could make you rich! You and me! You could be my one and only!" He pleads.

"Disgusting.." I cringe, pulling the blade from his hand and sending him to his death.

"Your girl is stone cold.." I hear Reno speak, presumably to Cloud. _His girl..._ "We brought some rope, this shouldn't take long."

It takes nearly twenty minutes of awkward coordination between ourselves and the Turks, but eventually we get Elena and Yuffie back on solid ground; both of who are eternally grateful. The tension quickly rises between our two groups, when Reno answers his phone, saying nothing but the word 'Understood' before hanging up.

"Was that the company?" Elena asks.

"Yeah. They want us to find Cloud and then the keystone." Reno answers, causing everyone to tense up, ready to attack.

"Are we on?" Rude asks.

"Today's our day off.." He answers before walking between me and Cloud, silently summoning the other two to follow him.

"Oh man... I'm glad that's over. Thanks to you guys." Yuffie sighs.

"I only saved you because I didn't wanna loose my spear, throwing it at you from over there. I can just strangle you now." Cid huffs.

"Yuffie.. This is the last time I'm going to ask.. I want the materia back." Cloud commands. "If you try anything else, I won't stop the others from hurting you.."

"I understand.. I'll take you straight to them.. But please, I want you to know I wasn't being selfish... Shinra took everything from Wutai. I just wanted to fight back..." Yuffie says with a sincere tone.

"I understand." I mutter truthfully, turning all eyes on me. "Let's go."

Yuffie leads us back to her house and slides away a hidden floorboard to reveal our large cache of materia. She lifts it out and hands the large pouch to Cloud, keeping her apologetic eyes fixated firmly on the ground. We leave without saying a word, hearing her chase after us like a puppy scared of being abandoned. I look at Cloud, trying to read his eyes to see if we should leave her behind or not, but eventually he turns around to meet her gaze.

"I can't bring dead weight with me. It's hard enough as it is.." Cloud answers, not reacting to the look of devastation on Yuffie's face.

"I wont! I-"

"There she is!" Barret's voice shouts from across the town.

"Easy!" Cloud shouts back, standing between Yuffie and the gun arm that was pointing directly at her.

"The hell you doin'?!" Barret roars.

"What she did wasn't right, I know.. But she had good intentions."

"The road to hell is paved with good intentions.." Vincent states.

"Well the people here, are her people. They won't sell us anything or let us rest, so we might as well start walking back to the Tiny bronco." Cloud says, watching their reactions.

Sure enough, the tired group sigh, seeing no other option than to let the ninja continue on with us. Although I was far from happy about what Yuffie had done, I knew she wouldn't do it again, so I couldn't help but smile at the blonde's ability to keep the peace within the group. It was sometimes easy to forget that Yuffie was just a kid, three years younger than Vanille, yet more mature; perhaps due to her upbringing.

"There's a big house you can all spend the night in. And lots of food.." Yuffie offers, sheepishly.

"I am kinda hungry.." Tifa laughs.

"Yay! Friends again!" Aeris jokes, breaking the tension.

Yuffie leads us through the town, stopping at the weapon shop and going inside alone. I look at Cloud, who merely shrugs, so we wait for a few moments before the door swings open again, bringing Yuffie into view with a spear that was far to large for her small frame to use. She walks over to Cid, and offers it up to him as a peace offering. We all turn our attention to the pilot to watch his response, which to our surprise was a positive one. He takes the weapon and nods to her appreciatively before she continues to lead us to the large house near the pagoda.

"There's a room here, and some more over there." She points. "They serve real nice food at the bar down in the village. I'm not much of a cook."

"Thanks, Yuffie." Cloud nods. "Okay everyone. Eat, sleep, sight see, just be ready first thing tomorrow morning."

Everyone nods in agreement, and all but Vincent leave for the bar. I watch the enigma of a man vanish into one of the bedrooms, shutting the door behind him after shooting us a look that said he didn't want to be disturbed. Yuffie also leaves, giving us no explanation, but we have our weapons, materia and money, so we don't question her. The two of us walk into the first bedroom and make ourselves comfortable before paying any attention to the silence between us.

"So... what do you think the keystone is?" I ask.

"Not sure.. If Shinra want it, It must be important."

"If we find it first, we could get a real head start on Sephiroth." I say positively. "But where do we start?"

"There's a continent to the north. We could try our luck there." He offers as a suggestion.

I hum in agreement, but my mind is wandering somewhere else. I've told myself ever since I woke up in the bedroom of an inn, that I was following the blonde because he was my best chance to find my way back home.. And for the most part it was true. Even now, I feel my self being drawn in two directions. My head wants me to find Hojo and force him to send me back, but my heart wants nothing more than the man who's eyes gaze at me with concern. I didn't like the feeling of weakness he brought out in me, but I'd come to accept it. What I needed was to make a decision.. To follow my heart, or my mind.

"You okay?" He asks, standing up and stretching his legs.

I don't respond at first, as my mind still races with possibilities. After a brief moment, decide to make the blonde force my hand to finally bring an end to my indecision. My eyes meet his as I stand up, and I pace towards him slowly. I don't blink once as I read his body language, which confirms the nervousness that his eyes can't hide. My heart is fluttering as my cold logic is screaming at me to stop, but I have to know. I watch as he takes half a step back; quickly realizing he was nowhere to go so stands tall, taking a heavy breath and holding it. I take my final step, only blinking when I feel the tip of my boots touch his and pause for a moment to gauge his reaction. Cloud finally releases his breath; a sign of defeat, and a sense of relief washes over me when I feel his firm hand on the small of my back. Although his touch was welcome, it takes me my surprise and I throw my hand over his shoulder and brace it on the wall before leaning in to meet him lips. I begin to shut my eyes as my nose brushes past his, when I feel the once solid wall swing open under our weight and we fall into darkness.

"ugh.." Cloud coughs, taking the brunt of the fall. "I hate ninja's.."

"I..um.." I mumble, climbing off the blonde. "I'm gonna go check on the others." I add, quickly feeling a wave of discomfort about the hole situation.

 **Cloud's POV**

She vanishes before I can protest, but I decide not to follow her and give the pinkette some time to think. Even though her lips never met mine, I felt warm inside, despite the fact that I was laying in a dark, secret corridor with a sore head. Perhaps it was knowing her feelings, or the possibility that she might want to stay with me- I mean us..

After a moment of allowing a string of possibilities to run through my head, I leave the house and head to the pagoda, curious to explore it. I walk inside the seemingly empty structure, only to find a highly polished, wooden floor that was stained a deep mahogany colour. An intricately woven rug that took up the center of the room showed clear signs of wear and judging my the slash marks, they came from combat. In the right hand corner of the room is the entrance to the stairs, which is framed by crimson beams. With nothing of interest on the bottom of the tower, I head up the stairs to find a similar scene. I'm about to turn around and head back to the room, hoping I can be asleep before Claire returns, but noise from above draws my attention.

"Bring it on, old man!" I hear the faint shout of Yuffie coming from the floors above.

I sprint up the stairs, rushing through floor after floor until I reach the top, only to find Yuffie and an elder fighting in the middle of the room, surrounded by four others, all of which look like they had taken a beating recently.

"Yuffie!" I shout, ready to draw my weapon.

"I'm okay! I need to do this on my own!" She shouts back between punches.

A young man wearing a blue and white robe waves me over to him, never taking his eyes off the battle, so I stand next to him and watch the young ninja who's caused me so much trouble, engage in hand to hand combat with who I assume to be the pagoda's leader. The man; who was surprisingly agile for an overweight person, send a flurry of punches towards Yuffie, who contorted her body around them with grace, before attempting to sweep the man's legs. He jumped over her legs, reading her attempt to down him, and caught the followup high kick that would have surely downed any man if it would have connected. As a martial artist, I imagine she would be no match for Tifa, but the young brunette was an extremely talented trickster, and used it to her advantage at all times.

I watch as Yuffie feints a punch, using her arm to conceal her true attack; a flying knee which hit the man square on the chin, knocking him back. The man is actually smiling as he brushes the blood from his lips with his forearm, before continuing on the offensive. One by one, the young ninja blocks each swinging limb, before one finally breaks through her nimble defenses. The man's shin slams into the side of her knee, knocking her to the ground, as he spins on the spot and strikes her face with the back of his fist.

"Yuffie!" I shout in concern, taking a step towards her, only for her to wave me off.

Bruised and in pain, Yuffie crawls away from the man on her hands and knees, only to look up and give me the slightest of winks. I frown in confusion and watch with great curiosity for what was about to happen, and I didn't have to wait long. Yuffie closes her eyes and listens closely to the advancing steps of her opponent and waits for him to get closer, before kicking back violently like a bucking chocobo, hitting the man in the groin. Even I cringe for the man as he keels over on the ground, only to receive a finishing fist to his jaw.

"Old coot... Not bad..." Yuffie huffs, laying down next to her opponent to catch her breath.

"You've... also... Improved.." The man gasps.

The pair lay there for a few seconds, before they break into laughter, which builds in volume before finally dying down. I make my way over to Yuffie, and offer her a hand. She takes it with a smile as I pull her to her feet, keeping hold of the shaking ninja until she composes herself.

"It's time I gave this to you, Yuffie.." The man says, climbing back to his feet and walking towards us. "This is Leviathan materia. Take it."

"But lord Godo!" One of the men that line the room interjects.

"Silence! She has defeated all of us! My daughter is worthy of the materia." Godo shoots down the man. _He's Yuffie's father._

"But our customs!" Another interrupts.

"Customs, customs, customs.. blah blah blah! You all turned Wutai into a place like this!" Yuffie fires back, showing a fierceness I haven't seen from her before. "The Leviathan would be ashamed!"

"Yuffie is right.." Lord Godo speaks quietly, causing his followers to gasp. "You there, please take Yuffie with you." He adds, drawing all attention to me. "My daughter tells me you have strength and determination; as well as a kind heart. I want her to learn from you and then return to Wutai.. To take her rightful place."

"All right, I don't mind." I agree, but my enthusiasm is dampened by her recent actions. "You coming?"

Yuffie nods in agreement and follows me down the flights of stairs, limping all the way. She points to the bar in the distance, silently signaling that was where she was heading, but I'm hesitant to follow. I'm pretty sure Claire was inside, and just the thought of seeing her made my cheeks blush. Deciding that I'd have to see her sooner or later, I take Yuffie's arm and throw it over my shoulder, allowing her to take the weight off her sore leg, and slowly walk towards the 'Turtle's Paradise' bar.

 **A/N: Another little one, but as I got four lovely reviews I thought I'd make haste. A little bit of a moment between the pair in this one, only to be ruined by those stupid false walls lol. I only noticed the wall next to the 'bedroom' after about my 30th playthrough. Our journey in Wutai is nearly over, and the story will begin to pick up the pace once we get to the temple. A possible story twist is coming and I'm gonna leave it to you ladies and gentlemen to decide which way it goes, so keep an eye out for that.**

 **I like to keep out of the world events, but as I have a reviewer from France, one of the closest countries to my own (England), I'd just like to say that I hope you're okay and that my thoughts go out to you and the rest of your people.**

 **Sois fort et savons que nous sommes avec vous**


	25. A Linked Heart

**Claire's POV**

With the Turks gone, the bar became a much welcomed source of relaxation that our tired group needed; although some took 'down time' much more seriously than others. Cid and Barret were drinking beer by the gallon, becoming noisier and more child like with every glass. I sat next to the slightly more civilized Aeris, who was giggling uncontrollably after half a glass of wine.

"You don't drink much, do ya?" Tifa smiles.

"How can you tell?" Aeris asks, swaying in her seat.

"A lucky guess." The brunette laughs. "I wonder where Vincent is.."

"In the room." I answer, taking a sip of whiskey. "Guy likes his privacy.. Where that stupid cat is, I have no idea."

"I hope you aren't referring to me?" Nanaki's deep voice questions from the corner.

"No the irritating, stuffed toy." I answer.

"Not a fan of Cait Sith?" Tifa asks.

"I don't trust him." I say bluntly, taking another sip.

"You don't trust anybody!" Cid barks from across the table, spilling half of his beer as he gestures with his hand.

"She trusts Cloud." Aeris says with a playful tone. "I think she loooves him." She adds, doing a horrific job of whispering.

"You got a point there, kid." Cid stutters, as he eavesdrops. "So what is it? It's the spiky hair, ain't it?"

My cheeks begin to flush as my brain lets me down and fails to provide me with a witty response. I start to open my mouth, desperate to end the vulnerability that's flooding over me, but I'm shut down by Cid and Barret who start to chant 'Light loves Cloud' at the top of their voices, earning a laugh from the others at my expense. I bury my head in my hands, hoping in vein that if I couldn't see them, they'd all go away. To my amazement, the chanting stopped almost instantly, and I peek through my fingers to see everyone facing the door. _Cloud..._

"Hey! We was just talking about you!" Barret shouts with a grin. "Wanna beer?"

"I heard.. So did the rest of the village. Keep the noise down, I don't want to get chased out of town in the middle of the night because you've annoyed everyone." He says bluntly.

"Spoil sport." Cid huffs. "You gonna at least answer our question? Moody won't."

"Question?" Cloud asks, but I can tell from his eyes that he knew the question.

"You and sour face. You two a thing?" The pilot asks.

The room falls silent as all eyes fall on the blonde, but he doesn't waver. Instead, he walks Yuffie over to the nearest table and places her down carefully, before walking across the bar towards me. The only noise in the room was the sound of his heavy boots on the stone floor that paced towards me with purpose. I feel my chest fluttering with butterflies as I nervously watch his approach, feeling as nervous as I must have made him before. The blonde eventually reaches me and takes a seat by my side, before turning to the pilot.

"If you spend as much time trying to fix that plane of yours as you did gossiping about my love life then we wouldn't be stuck here." Cloud answers.

Cid opened his mouth to respond; but like me just a moment ago, had no answer to give so turned back to his drink. A mixture of relief and disappointment pours over me as I take a breath and smile at him faintly. A part of me was hoping he would declare his undying love for me, where as the other was grateful to be spared the embarrassment. We stay at the bar for another hour, filling our stomachs with wood and drink as attention turns to Yuffie, who explains the situation to the others, in the hope of winning back their trust, before finally turning in for the night.

"I thought for a second you where going to-" I begin as I walk through the bedroom door, only to be stun around by strong hands.

I feel his lips press against mine as his fingers run down the side of my face and through my hair, holding me loosely. I relax into his grip and place my own hands on his chest before eventually separating. His eyes gaze at me in a way no one has ever looked at me before and the thought of staying here is finally an option I'm willing to accept. I've spent so long fighting for everyone else's happiness, now I want my own..

"I didn't want to embarrass you in there.. That's why I didn't.." He says softly, still looking into my eyes. "I know how much you like the others to see you as tough."

"Thanks." I smile at how well he understands me. "What's wrong?" I ask, noting his face drop.

"Nothing.. I shouldn't have done that.."

"Was it that bad?" I frown, taking a step back from him.

"It was perfect.. I just don't want it to be the last one I ever get.." The blonde say's turning is back to me.

"Maybe I don't have to leave.." I mutter.

 **Tifa's POV**

With Aeris' arm draped over my shoulder, singing merrily, I help walk her back to her room, passing Cloud's as I go. I stop for a second and turn back, telling myself I was going to tell him good night, but in reality, I wanted to see if 'she' was there. Although I really like Light, it kills me at how easily the two were able to strike up a bond. Even when Cloud refused to answer Cid's question, I could see the answer in his eyes. I place my hand on Cloud's bedroom door, contemplating to myself if I should go in, and Aeris wasn't helping.

"Shhh! They could be doing... you know... IT.." Aeris giggles to herself.

"It's none of my business.." I tell myself before carrying Aeris down the hall.

"Need a hand?" Vincent's toneless voice says from the shadows, causing the two of us to jump. "What's wrong with her?"

"She's had a drink." I laugh.

"How many bottles?" Vincent frowns, looking at the state the innocent brunette was in.

"One... Glass. I don't think she drink's much." I say as Vincent scoops her up.

"Indeed.."

Vincent carries Aeris effortlessly down the hall and into our bedroom, where Yuffie is fast asleep already. I pull the sheets back as Vincent places her inside before tucking her in. He gives me a nod and leaves without a word, leaving me to my thoughts, at least for a few seconds until Aeris starts to heave.

"I really don't think drinking is for me.." She whines, trying to stop the nauseous feeling.

"Yeah, alcohol doesn't seem to agree with you." I smile as I climb out of bed and sit next to Aeris, rubbing her back until she feels better. "Aeris.."

"hmm?"

"Do you think she loves him?" I ask, knowing I'd only get honesty from the brunette.

"I think so... Ugh.." Aeris heaves. "Is a hangover really as bad as people say?"

"Then I'm happy..." I mutter to myself. "And for you... yeah, I imagine you're going to feel crappy tomorrow." I sympathize as I continue to rub her back.

 **Cloud's POV**

A new day comes quicker than I'd have liked, but I get up without a grumble as I slowly come to my senses. Claire is still sleeping peacefully in her bed as I gather up my sword and materia to get ready for the long day ahead. My eyes can't help but be drawn to her, and her pale lips, which I still taste on my own. I watch her for a moment; taking in her beauty as I admire her trademark pink locks, which are resting over the side of her porcelain face, until I eventually have to wake her.

"Yo spiky! We goin' or what?!" I hear Barret shout from outside.

"I dunno, have you took your sailor's uniform off yet?" I answer back.

"I told you man! They comfy!" He replies before I hear his boots pace away.

"He really sleeps in those things?.." I hear Claire yawn behind me.

"Apparently." I answer. "I'll let you get dressed." I add before leaving the room, feeling awkward.

The group gathers at the edge of town, all looking rested apart from Aeris, who looks like she'd died. Tifa gives me a smile and shakes her head when she notices me examining Aeris, silently telling me that she'd be okay... Eventually.. Yuffie and Claire are the last to arrive, and I find my gaze pulling away from her. Ever since last night, I didn't know what to say to the pinkette. There's nothing in the world I want more, but dating is not something I'm well practiced in, and to take my focus from Sephiroth could be fatal for all of us. In an effort to break the tension, I give Claire a nod and a smile, receiving one back before turning to the others.

"Ready? We're gonna head back to the plane, and providing Cid can fix it, we'll take it to the northern continent."

"I can fix anything!" Cid barks, finding my words offensive.

 **Later that day**

"She ain't gonna fly again.." The pilot sighs, rubbing the oil from his brow.

"I thought you said-" Barret begins, taking the words right out of my mouth.

"I know what I said! I need part's and in case you ain't noticed, we're on a remote island!" Cid barks.

"Can we use it as a boat?" I ask, bracing myself for another tongue lashing.

"Do whatever the hell you want!" he huffs.

The Tiny Bronco is barely able to stay afloat with all of us on, but we manage to make our way to the northern continent in a few hours that were relatively uneventful, apart from Aeris, who had her head dangling over the side for the entire journey. By the time we touch down on the shoreline, it becomes apparent just how for north that we've traveled by the freezing temperature and the snow covered mountains in the distance.

"That's... That's a big ass skull.." Barret says in amazement.

"Sure is." Cid agrees, as a village consisting of tents and scrap metal gets closer.

"There's two.. They must be ten feet wide..." Claire mutters.

"...There's one missing.." Vincent's stoic voice echos from behind us.

"You know that they were?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.

"Not they.. It.." The crimson cloaked man corrects me. "Cerberus.. A three headed beast of an age long since past.. Many believe it to be a myth.."

"Well it's dead now." Claire states, dispelling the nervousness in the group as we approach.

The villagers eye us cautiously as I approach the nearest in the hope for some answers. I can only hope that one of them have the answer that I'm looking for. The closest man is brushing dirt off what looks like some sort of plane, but stops when my shadow hangs over him.

"Can I help you?" He asks, scanning our group.

"I'm looking for a man wearing Black. He has long silver hair and a huge sword." I reply, not wanting to use his name.

"He was here. Looking for the keystone, but it's not been here for a long time. It was sold off to fund the next dig."

"Do you know who to?" Claire asks standing by my side.

"Some muscle head rich guy. Said it would look good in his collection." The man answers.

"Do you know what the keystone is?" I question.

"I know the legend.. It is said that the keystone is the key to a temple on a southern continent. The temple of the ancients I think it's supposed to be called."

"Cloud..." Aeris whispers, waving me over to her. "My mom told me about this when I was little. Can we find it? It could have answers about the Cetra..." She asks.

"Seems like Sephiroth is looking for it so I guess we better find it first." I answer her, earning myself a warm smile. "We need to find that keystone though."

"We know where the keystone is." Claire states causing us all to turn to her.

"I didn't see you get you' crystal ball out. How you know where it is?" Barret raises an eyebrow.

"Told ya she was a witch..." Cid mutters.

"You know who it is, Cloud." I say, ignoring dumb and dumber's comments. "Hey, boy!" I shout, putting on a deep voice.

"Dio..." Cloud says after I see the penny drop in his eyes.

"Yeah.. I was hoping to never see those speedos again.."

"EEWW!" Yuffie cringes.

"...Cid, get the plane ready.." I sigh.

"I've spent half a day sailing my broken plane for you to ask one question and travel half way across the ocean?"

"Pretty much." Tifa laughs with an upbeat smile.

 **A/N: Thank you for everyone who reviewed. I don't think I've had five reviews for one chapter before so that's made my little day lol. Sorry for the delay, I've not had a second to myself this week. This chapter is more of a filler as it's literally just sailing about, but I put some Cloud/Light in there to keep you all going lol. I'm gonna get started on a chapter of 'A great Mako War' then I'll be back to this. Sorry for the boring chapter and the long delay.**

 **I think the Music is going to be the same but just remastered by someone else. I'd like to choose between remastered, original and Piano version when playing the game. I've got the Piano collection and it really is a master piece. OH! THAT REMINDS ME. If anybody hasn't seen the final fantasy 7 machinabridged videos on youtube give them a watch there's 7 so far. I'm quite a serious person but I was crying with laughter watching them. One of the funniest thing's I've ever seen.**

… **. I really go off topic in these things... Anyway... Thanks for reading, leave a review and let me know what you think.**

 **Wolf**


	26. The Keystone Challenge

**Claire's POV**

The walk to Corel was a long one, but the evening air was warm, and other than the rumble from our half starved stomachs and a faint wind blowing through the mountains it was silent. I've probably covered more of this world's landmass in the past week than I have my own in a lifetime. The planet was beautiful for the most part, but most of it's population lived in a poverty manipulated by the Shinra; a corporation with more influence than any nation. It feels strange to explore a planet that is controlled solely by humans, and not twisted Fal'cie, but all I want to explore at the moment is the blonde, who marches towards the shanty town that is Corel with relentless steps.

It's easy to forget how personal this journey is for him, as his reasons for stopping Sephiroth have been diluted by Barret's noble, yet seemingly futile plan to save the planet. I guess that deep down, we all have our own reason's for following the path we're all on.. The darkening sky begins to reveal a blanket of stars as we reach the edge of the town, which is quiet and peaceful. A lone man, roasting a small bird over a barrel fire is the only life we see as we make our way to the ropebridge train. He gives is a quick nod as we pass, before turning back to his dinner, and it saddens me how these people live.. All because of Shinra's greed.

Our growing group boards the metallic blue train and it takes us back to the Goldsaucer, a place of fun that takes away the hardship of life for a few days.. At least of those that can afford a ticket. The upbeat music captures Aeris' attention as we get nearer, and I can't help but smile at her innocent excitement. I always wondered if it was a front to hide her worries, but if it wasn't then I was truly jealous. The ability to see the best in things; in people.. It's always alluded me.

"You think those Shinra idiots will be here?" Cid asks, looking at the golden mushroom that was the Goldsaucer.

"Reno said they were looking for the keystone, but I doubt that they have anything to go on." Cloud answers the pilot.

"Well ain't that a damn shame. I was hoping that Rufus would be there.." He sighs.

"We'll get our chance with that smug son of a bitch." Barret promises.

"We better! My spear's booked a one way ticket to his greedy ass!"

"What about you, Mr Vincent?" Aeris asks.

"Hojo... And just Vincent is fine." He answers in his usual cold tone. I don't think he intends to be so abrupt, but after so many atrocities inflicted on him, it's not surprising that he's given up on people.

"You might wanna get in line." I say, earning myself a raised eyebrow from the scarlet eyed man.

"We're here." Tifa states, as the train comes out from the darkness of the short tunnel and back into the multi coloured lights of the amusement park.

"Good." Barret huffs as the doors open. "Move it, cat!" He shouts, kicking the toy mog out of the carriage.

"Watch it, you big stupid lump!" Cait sith shouts angrily.

"Maybe we could give him to one of the kid's in here." Cid teases.

"Now that, my good man, is a plan." Barret laughs.

"H-Hey!"

"Enough!" I shout, silencing the bickering. "Me and Cloud will find Dio. You guys get some rest and something to eat.

"I ain't endin' up in no desert again! I'm coming with.. You two idiots need adult supervision." Barret demands.

I have no objections, but I'd have liked to had some time to talk to Cloud on his own. Figuring that there would be loads of time for talking, the three of us say our goodbyes to the others and make our way to entrance, where I flash my lifetime pass to get us in, much to the shock of Barret. Once inside, the three of us head to the battle arena, where Dio's quarters where. We exit the tunnel that lead from the station to our destination, and climb up the flight of stairs that was lined with a royal purple carpet, to enter a room that was far to familiar. The checkered floor was the same as ever, as well as the ominous skull that hung over the door to the arena. Several men stand nervously as they wait for their turn to prove their fighting ability; one of which leaves when the sight of a man being stretchered away shows him a very real possibility.

"This is barbaric.. Half of these idiots are just doing it to impress their girlfriends." I sigh, before quickly realizing that was more or less what Cloud did.. Joining Soldier, just to impress Tifa..

"In here." He points, sparing me of an apology.

"It's like a damn museum in here." Barret says, looking around the small room at all of the strange artifacts. "Vase's, tribal mask... Weird clock... Don't know that the hell that is.."

"Found it." I interrupt.

"That? I spent ten hours on a plane that don't fly, for a rock?"

"That's no ordinary rock." Dio's voice echo's from behind us. "That's my prized possession."

"Dio." Cloud nods.

"Good to see ya, boy. What can I do for ya?" 

"I need the keystone."He answers, getting straight to the point.

"I can't just give it to you. It cost me a bomb."

"You did throw us into a desert prison.." I remind him.

"And you DID try to steal a 90,000 gil Chocobo." Dio fires back.

"He's got you there.." Barret whispers to me.

"You're not helping!" I hiss, elbowing the mountain of a man in the ribs.

"There is something you can do for me..." Dio says.

"Shoot." The Avalanche leader replies.

"People are getting discouraged with the Battle arena. They say it's too hard, too dangerous.."

"It is.." I mutter. "What's your point."

"One of you needs to set a high score. Something for the masses to strive for. Nothing gets business booming like some good old fashioned competition."

"Fine.. Let's get this over with.." Cloud sighs.

Dio leads the three of us back into the battle arena lobby before striding over to the receptionist's desk and grabbing the microphone.

"Ladies and gentlemen! We have a new contender! For all of you that can't get past the first round and claim it's impossible I suggest you watch closely! Anyone who wants to watch the fight of a lifetime, please take the left door, climb the stairs, and take a seat in the viewing area!

The whole floor empties in seconds, sadistically racing towards the seats that would give the best view of a bloody show. Dio gives us a nod, before departing as well, surely entertaining his guests in preparation for Cloud's entrance. Me and Barret turn to the blonde, who despite being tired and hungry, is ready to give everything to continue on with his journey. I watch as he takes his sword and rests his head on the blade's flat surface for a moment before turning towards the stairs and walking.

"Yo blondie!" Barret shouts causing Cloud to turn as he reaches the top step.

"Hmm?"

"Don't fuck up." He says bluntly, prizing a grin from the mako eyed man's lips.

I can't help but feel a warmness when I see him smile. A moment of vulnerability that breaks through an otherwise steely composure. The way the two men spoke to each other sometimes would make even the most astute of people think that they hated each other, but it just wasn't the case. If anything they were like an old married couple. Two people that could bicker all day but be right by their side in a seconds notice, not unlike my friends.. Now that I think about it, there couldn't have been a more badly matched group of personalities, yet it worked and there's not a single one I wouldn't take a bullet for.. Well... Maybe not Snow..

"Come on, let's go show him some support." Barret says, pointing his gun arm to the door to the left.

I take a seat and look down on the arena that brings back terrible memories. I still remember trying to take the life of the man who's lips met mine just a day ago. A man I'd grown to admire.. To love..

"FIGHT!" Dio shouts, signaling the start of the first round.

Round by round Cloud defeats everything that's thrown at him and the audience is split in half with their feelings about the mako eyed man that dominated the arena. The women watched with lustful eyes, admiring his muscular body that glistened with sweat, were as the men in the audience were filled with jealousy and disbelief at his power; a level unreachable by most. As the seventh roud ends, even from our lofty seats, I can see the blonde panting heavily, exhausted from the long, restless day.

"Outstanding, Boy! I never for a second thought that you'd make it through seven rounds! There is one round left! If you quit now, I'll give you the keystone. If you choose to accept the next round, I'll give you 20,000 gil to help with your travels!" Dio shouts down to the blonde, earning a cheer from the crowd.

I look down at Cloud, who is weighing up his options, but I'd rather go hungry and sleep in a tent than put him through anything else. I look at Barret, who's thinking the same, before turning back to the blonde and shouting down to him.

"We came for the keystone, don't risk hurting yourself!" I shout down to him.

"Yeah, moody's right! Get your ass outta there!" Barret says, eventually looking at me to find a frown. "What? You looked in a mirror recently?"

"This is how my face is! I don't walk around with a big stupid grin on!" I bicker back.

"We've got a long way to go and It's not fair for you all to suffer because of my journey.. Dio, I'm ready." Cloud says softly, breaking up our mini fight.

"You heard the man! Begin round 8!" Dio orders.

The huge wooden doors open from across the arena, but nothing comes out. I look to Barret who's as confused as me, but our attention turns back to the door when the whole arena starts to shake with rhythmic thuds. The stomps become louder until the head of a dragon slides out from the shadow of the door way, slowly revealing itself to a gasping audience. The green hided dragon was so big that it broke the stone arch that held the thick wooden doors as it smashed itself into the arena, and it's talons were like pickaxes, piercing the ground with every step. From head to tail, the beast must have been twenty feet long and looked even bigger when it stood up on it's hind legs in a display of dominance.

"That, boy, is a dragon. A genetically modified dragon. It has increased strength, thicker hide and hotter breath. Best of luck."

"I ain't wading through that thing's shit to bury your barbequed ass!" Barret shouts down to Cloud.

"Duly noted.." Cloud mutters, realizing he may have made a poor decision.

I watch on as the dragon goes straight on the offensive, slamming it's front limbs into the ground, shaking it enough to knock the exhausted blonde off his feet. Licks of flame pour out of the dragon's tooth filled snout as it takes in a deep breath, ready to cook it's next meal. Cloud spots the intake of breath too, and quickly dives into the moat of water that surrounds the stone arena floor. The fiery breath hits the body of water, sending a thick cloud of steam up into the air that fills the room like smoke.

The dragon looks to the water, waiting for Cloud to run out of breath, but the cunning warrior remains underwater as he swims around the platform. Satisfied the beast had it's eyes fixated on where he dived in, Cloud leaped from the water with his sword overhead, and sank his sword into it's back. With a fiery roar, the dragon spun on the spot, throwing the mako eyed man across the arena, before whipping it's eight foot, serrated tail in his direction.

"Jump!" I shout, seeing the emerald tail whip across the surface towards Cloud.

Cloud jumps over the deadly tail, but the dragon's tail just catches the back of his boot, sending him back to the earth with a thud. Seeing an easy kill, the monster brings his whip like limb overhead, before bringing it crashing down. With less than a second to spare, the blonde manages to bring his sword over his body, blade side up, which cuts the dragons tail clean in half, but it does not stop the two foot stump that remained from sinking it's serrated spine into his torso.

"Cloud!" I shout, seeing blood pour from his upper abs.

"I ain't going home to Marlene and telling her that Tifa's idiot friend got ate by a dragon! Get yo' spiky ass up!" Barret roars.

"Stop making me laugh, it broke my ribs!" Cloud coughs, trying to suppress a grin.

Cloud used has cure materia to seal the wound, and continues to duck and weave around the dragon's razor claws and fiery breath. It was killing me that I couldn't jump down and fight by his side, but I was determined to help, none the less. I think for a moment, before realize there was only one thing I could do. Encourage him.

"CLOUD! CLOUD CLOUD!" I begin to chant, quickly getting Barret to join in.

It took only a few seconds before the whole of the arena was chanting his name at the top of their voices. It was such a spectacle to see and the noise was so loud that even the dragon turned it's attention to the crowd; a mistake that would soon end it's life. With the dragon distracted, I watch Cloud take a running jump towards it and bring his heavy sword's razor edge down on it's skull, splitting it's head down the middle. With the dragon falling limp, the crowd burst into life, shouting and screaming with excitement, but it's relief that washes over me. Blood spills onto the arena floor from the carcass, as an astonished Dio takes a step towards the edge of the stand, wearing his trademark smug look, silencing the crowd in an instant.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you Cloud Strife. Our new champion and record holder!" He shouts before signaling to the blonde to exit the arena.

Wanting to be the first to see him, I barge past Barret; who grumbles profanities at me as I do and race down the stairs. His hands are on his knees as he catches his breath, but he quickly composes himself he hears my running steps. Like a dear in headlights, I freeze when his eyes meet mine, but I quickly relax and throw my arms around his neck, squeezing him tightly.

"Why did you do that?!" I shout down his ear, still hugging him.

"You deserve to sleep in a fresh bed.. Eat a cooked meal at a table in a resturant.. You can't do that without money.." He says softly.

"Id rather sleep in a tent and eat rations with you than have a fancy room and food on my own. Don't ever do that again.." I scald quietly.

"If you two are done playing house, I'd like to get our stuff and order the biggest damn steak you ever seen!" Barret jokes, causing us to separate. "Personally I'd have just shot it in the face, but I know you Soldier guys like to make things overly dramatic."

"My ribs disagree.." He huffs.

The crowd swarms around the blonde as Dio makes his way through them to give Cloud his reward.

"You just made me a lotta money, boy." Dio grins. "Now everyone is gonna pay to compete. Here you go. A deal is a deal." He adds, handing Cloud a plastic case.

Cloud gives the man a nod and turns to the exit to begin wading through the crowd; but not before a blonde woman slips a piece of paper into his large belt and winks at him before dashing off. My eyes burn into the woman and I take my first step towards her but I feel something yank me back and in less than a second I'm off my feet.

"Told ya, I ain't goin' to prison cuz you a psycho.." Barret says as he carries me out under his huge arms.

"PUT ME DOWN!"

"Oh I'll put you down.. Just as soon as I'm happy you stopped goin' crazy. An at the moment.. It ain't lookin' good." Barret says with a grin.

"HOW AM I CRAZY!?" I shout in disgust.

"Hmm.. Lemmi see.. Stole a chocobo, Nearly killed Yuffie..."

"She stole my stuff!" A answer back, quickly becoming annoyed at being treated like a rag doll.

"..I'mma let you have that one.. Tried to leave after Cloud gave you CPR, nearly gout us all killed in Costa del sol, ran off again... Attempt to steal ANOTHER Chocobo, got sent to prison... tried to kill my oldest friend..."

"You killed him!" I fire back.

"Technically, he jumped... Anyway.. Then you ran off AGAIN, knocked Cloud of his chocobo so he couldn't win, and on top of that tried to kill him in the battle arena! Then we had to go back into the prison we just got freed from, just so blondie could save your scrawny ass! And just now you was gun' cut some girl's head off because she gave a man you claim to have no feelings for, her phone number! Now that I think about it, everywhere there's sand or a chocobo you nearly get us all killed. Don't ever live by the beach."

"My hometown was by the beach!"

"Explains a lot.." Barret huffs.

 **A/N: Now I know I said I was writing a chapter for GMW but I received a very nice PM as well as five wonderful reviews and I also forgot to with everyone happy thanksgiving (Don't celebrate it in England as far as I'm aware) So... Happy late thanksgiving! I've took on board some of the advice in the reviews so I hope i've addressed at least some of them in this chapter. Also I hope your liking how I'm doing Barret, he was one of my least favorite characters in game (perhaps because it was text instead of VA) but after discovering FF7:MA on youtube last week, I've become to love him as you may have guessed from a line I stole from it. "Don't fuck up."**

 **Let me know what you think, and as always, thanks for reading.**

 **Wolf**

 **P.S I'm now doing a GMW before I get a load of angry PM's lol.**


	27. The Date

**Cloud's POV**

"Barret, put her down before she kills you." I laugh as I walk down the purple carpeted staircase. "I'll phone the others to meet us at the station."

I suppress a laugh when the now free pinkette punches Barret in the arm and angrily stomps by my side. My phone dials and it's Tifa who picks up our other phone. After being made to explain the events that got us the keystone, she agrees to gather everyone up and meet me at the station.

"Everyone will meet us there." I tell the others, as I give Barret the phone to hold and make my way to the station.

After a climb up through the Goldsaucer's 'Fun' form of travel between platforms, we reach the central hub. I go to walk outside, but I'm stopped by Claire, who spins me around and dives her hand into my Soldier crested belt, pulling out the piece of paper and crumpling it up in her fist. I fake a disappointed look and earn a frown from the rose haired beauty, who walks outside to the train.

"Shouldn't wind her up, she crazy." Barret advises.

I follow Claire outside to find her talking with one of the park's ropeway attendants. Rushing over to her, I catch half of their conversation, which instantly puts a halt to our plans. Once the woman has explained to us that the tram is out of order and that she'd inform us when it's been fixed, I turn back to the entrance, where the others are marching towards me and Claire, looking slightly more rested than when I left them.

"You want the good news or the bad news?" Claire asks the approaching group.

"Bad first.. I'd like to end on a good note." Tifa answers.

"The tram is out of order, we can't find the temple of the ancients." I answer, looking very apologetic towards Aeris, who's happy smile drops slightly.

"And the good news?" Nanaki asks.

"We get to have some much needed rest.. That and dinner is on me." I say proudly, opening up the case of money and taking a few hundred gil out.

"There must be a gazillion gill in there!" Yuffie gasps.

"Not quite, but it should be more than enough for us to live much more comfortably from now on. Here, Cid. Go get everyone whatever food they want." I smile, handing the man a small pile of notes.

"Cigarettes are food, right?" He asks.

"Hey! I've got some good news to!" Cait sith bounces excitedly.

"You leavin' an never comin' back?" Barret asks coldly.

"Quiet you big oaf! I know the guys who run the hotel. I can get us some free rooms!"

"The thought of an actual comfy bed does sound nice.." Tifa says. "...After food though, right?"

"Everyone, go eat, sleep.. I don't know how long it's gonna take to fix the tram so make the most of it." I smile.

"Aren't you coming with us?" Aeris asks with a frown.

"I'm gonna go sort the rooms out and have an early night.. I'm still a little sore." I answer.

"Light, you coming?" Tifa questions.

"Sure, I'll go grab us a room key and I'll come and find you." She nods.

By the time we've finished chatting, Cait sith has already vanished, so me and Claire are left to play catch up with him. We take the tunnel that had a lit neon sign saying 'Hotel' and emerge in a pretend graveyard. My head sticks out of a fake grave as I examine Dio's weird themed hotel, before finally climbing out and waiting for Claire.

"Well they say money can't buy taste.." The pinkette huffs, unamused with the haunted theme. "Let's go find the stupid cat."

I can't help but laugh at what seems like our entire group's dislike for the talking cat, but for once he has proved useful. We climb up the narrow, stone staircase and through the front door where a less than amused looking hotel receptionist stands, barely moving, and Cait sith; who is waiting patiently for us with a grin. I walk behind Claire, who marches straight to the desk, only to be surprised by a falling skeleton on strings. There was no fear, only reaction, as the rose haired woman jumped back and unleashed a bullet into the fiberglass skull of the hotel's idea of a prank. Splinters of fiberglass flew everywhere as Cait Sith and the receptionist dived behind the counter in fear.

"What the hell is wrong with you people." Claire shout's, returning her gunblade into the holster that hangs above her behind. _Hmm..._

"How did you think that was going to go?" I frown at the cat.

"Thinking about it now... It may not have been a good idea..."

I continue looking around at the vulgar themed room, wondering why anybody would pay what I imagine to be a premium to stay in such a place. In the corner was a table with a chessboard that two ghosts appeared around periodically thanks to some projectors in the ceiling, and all of the paintings and statues had eyes that followed you around the room, adding to the eerie feel of the place.

"Here are your keys." Cait Sith says, handing the two of us a set of keys each. "Hey, you think this hotel looks like Vincent's bedroom?"

"I dunno. I'll ask him for you." Claire says, sending the cat into a panic and running away.

"Come on, I'm almost scared to see how these rooms are decorated." I joke as I take the lead up the red velvet, grand staircase.

After a brief search, we find our rooms, which are right next to each other and both enter our keys at the same time, opening them on the count of three. As we imagined, the horror theme continued inside, with chains and rubber maces scattered across the room as well as a demonic looking mini bar in the corner. Stickers of bats on the window and fake cobwebs finish off the look and I'm left trying to convince myself that this was a better option than a tent. At least the bed looked half normal, and for now, that's all my bruised body wanted. Something soft to lay on.

"Goodnight, Claire." I smile, before going inside and shutting the door.

I place the case with the keystone and money onto the table after taking a thick wad of gil out and walk over to the window, despite my body's cry for the bed. I look through the cold glass that kept the rain at bay, and down onto the almost black sea in the distance. Somewhere out there was Sephiroth.. And unlike us, he didn't rest. I knew we would have to get some spectacular luck to catch up to him, but luck was all I had. Then the question that eats into me every night begins to surface.. Could I even stop him? I fought him once and lived to tell the tale; but my memory is patchy at best when it comes to the past. I have no real memory of joining Solider or becoming Sephiroth's friend; But one think I know for sure is how hot the flames were, when my town burned to the ground.

I don't know how long I was stood at the window for, but when I hear a knock on the door, it had become opaque with my breath. The knock brings me back to my senses, and I walk over to the door with no real hurry, assuming it was Barret and the others. I look through the door's tiny peep hole to assess the state that the two of them were in before letting them inside, but my eyes fall on Claire, who adjusts her hair nervously as she waits.

 **Claire's POV**

I only manage a few steps into my room before the realization that today might be the last time I would get to relax in a long time, but my desires aren't for my bed. Walking over to the cracked mirror in the room; which I assume is not damage but a part of the stupid 'theme', I tidy up my messy locks of hair, brushing my fringe out of my eyes. The last time I properly looked at my own reflection was in the old lady's house in Junon, seeing for the first time eyes that glowed. It didn't bother me as much this time, but to question my own humanity was a frightening thought. Lightning flashed through the window across the room, lighting up my pale face in the mirror a moment before the deep rumble that reminded me of Barret's snoring follows in it's wake.

"It's now or never, Claire.." I tell myself.

" _It will hurt more when you leave..."_ I hear Serah's soft voice in my head, something that hasn't happened to me in a while.

"I'm not leaving." I tell myself, knowing that even if I wasn't going mad and it was my sister, I felt like I belonged here, with Cloud.

Not wanting to be alone with my own thoughts, I leave my room and stand in front of Cloud's bedroom door, hesitating for a moment before knocking. Nervously, I tuck a loose lock of hair behind my ear as I wait for Cloud to answer. I begin to wonder if he was asleep when nobody answers, but eventually the door opens to reveal the blonde, who looked confused but happy to see me.

"Are you okay?" He asks with concern in his voice.

"Come with me." I say softly, ignoring his question and removing his sword before placing it against the wall.

"Er.. Sure. What do you wanna do?" Cloud questions me.

"I want to be happy.. Just for a day." I smile.

"You haven't been happy?" He asks as his face drops slightly.

"It's not what I mean.. I want to go with you all and stop Sephiroth.. But today I want to have a normal day... I've not had one since I was a teenager." I answer, thinking back to the day my mother died. A 15 year old shouldn't have to grow up so fast, but I did it for Serah.. One of us had to be strong so the other could still have a normal life.

"Then what are we waiting for." He smiles warmly.

I dropped what little guard that remained when I was around the man and wrapped my arm around his. It felt like I could breath in the first time in years when these was no expectations on me. There was no need to act cold and shield myself from Cloud, because he always saw right through it anyway. Tomorrow I needed to be a soldier.. and that's something I'd come to accept, but for the next few hours I'm going to make up for the last 6 years.

I was quite hungry, but knowing that the others were all eating in the hotel restaurant, I decide to drag Cloud down the crimson stairs and out of the building. As we walk down the stone steps to the faux graveyard, which disguised the routes to the other platforms, I spot Vincent approaching and begin to tense up, not wanting him to tell the others about seeing the two of us.

"Vincent." Cloud nods. "Everything okay?"

"They appear to be making no effort to fix the tram." He says, getting straight to the point.

"As long as it's fixed by tomorrow. Everyone could use a rest. They're all in the hotel restaurant. Get yourself some food, Cid'll take care of the bill." Cloud tells Vincent.

"That does not sound like Cid Highwind.."

"He's paying with my money..." Cloud grins.

"I see.." Vincent says, smiling with his eyes. "Gossip is not a pastime I partake in.." He adds, seeing my mouth open to say something.

We watch Vincent ascend the stairs before I turn my attention back to the graves and decide where to start. Remembering Barret's words about my terrible luck when it comes to Chocobo's I decide it's in our best interest not to tempt fate, so I walk past that entrance and stand in front of one named 'Wonder' and look to Cloud for approval. He nods with a warm expression so we follow the dimly lit tunnel that comes out into the arcade platform nicknamed the 'wonder square'.

A food court selling all sorts of candies circles a central pillar that supports the main arcade area which was accessed by a glass corridor to our left. For the first time since I knocked on his bedroom door, it's Cloud who pulls me gently along, stopping at a stand that sold bright pink cotton candy. He asks for one and hands over a 10 gil note, receiving a pale pink cloud of cotton candy which was wrapped loosely around a thin wooden stick.

"So.. Does everyone on your world have cotton candy for hair?" Cloud teases, ripping a piece off and letting it melt in his mouth.

"It's relatively rare." I answer, indulging in the sweet treat myself.

"Tell me how to make Claire Farron happy." He asks, looking at me with doting eyes.

"You seem to know what your doing." I grin, happy to be in his company. "Lets go have a look around."

The pair of us walk over to the stairs that lead through the glass corridor into the amusements, only to be stopped by one of the park's attendants.

"No food or drink past this point. Sorry guys!" The young woman apologizes.

The pair of us look down on the almost untouched cotton candy before our eyes meet again. A devilish grin lights up his handsome face, and the pair of us stuff the sweet fluff into our mouths, feeling so much better as the sugary snack gives our tired bodies a bit of a boost. I take the stick from his hand and bite off the final piece, never taking my eyes off him as I do. I wave the now barren stick at the woman she laughs at our childishness as she waves us through. It had been an age before something so 'silly' had ever crossed my mind, but I reveled in the moment and dragged him upstairs.

The first thing my eyes find as we reach the amusements was the arm wrestling machine, so I walk up to it and press the button, readying it. I brace my shoulder onto the pad and grip the robotic hand as Cloud reaches over my shoulder and fiddles with the buttons, selecting 'Extreme mode', which draws a pair of nearby kids over with the sound of beeping. A loud countdown begins, and the robotic hand starts to slowly apply pressure to mine, to no avail. I push back, hearing the mechanical whine of the machine that was clearly never designed to be beaten, before it finally snaps and begins to smoke.

"Woah! Did you see that?!" One kid says to the other.

"Come on before Dio throws us in prison for breaking his toys." Cloud grins as I drop the piece of robotic hand and follow him outside.

"Where to next?" I ask, looking at the options in front of us.

"Here." He points, leading me though a tunnel.

When we finally emerge from the other side of the tunnel, I'm met with a fenced off platform with a small wooden ticket booth with an obese looking chocobo statue sat atop it at the end. I notice a track that runs overhead as Cloud walks over to the booth and hands over a couple of notes to the attendant inside. He returns for me shortly after and takes my hand, leading me to the edge of the platform as a gondola stops in front of us. I glance at Cloud nervously, but he just smiles and leads me inside, shutting the door behind us. The gondola begins it's journey moments later and we're soon high in the sky, looking down on the several mushroom platforms that make up the Goldsaucer. I'd never been to Nautilus; Cocoon's theme park, but I remember Vanille telling me many stories about how wonderful it was. Still... I don't think anything could top this. I can't help but smile as I look out of the window at the Chocobo's that raced along the vibrant track and the fireworks lit up the sky around us.

It felt strange doing 'normal' things; things I dreamed of as child that felt like a lifetime ago I was living for real. I know today was but a taste of a possibility that seemed slim at best, and to be honest with myself, it wasn't the scenery that made me feel happy again. Eventually, I turn to Cloud; who is watching me with a curious smile, only blinking when I adjust myself in my seat.

"Looks like I know what I'm doing after all.." He says softly.

"Hmm?" I hum.

"You're smiling." The blonde answers.

"It's hard not to.. You've really gone out of your way me.." I smile.

"I've not done a single thing that I didn't want to do."

I've never known selflessness like what Cloud has shown me over the past weeks.. Or at least I always assumed it was just that. Could he have done it all out of love... for me? If Serah choosing Snow was anything to go by, love makes you do stupid things sometimes, and Cloud had done more than has fair share over the past week, all for my benefit.. Content with my thoughts, I stand up in the gondola and step towards the still sat blonde. I rest my knee on the edge of the bench between his legs and place the palm of my hand on his chest, forgetting about his injury and causing him to wince slightly. My hand quickly moves and I go to move away, but strong arms pull me back, and before I know it, I'm perched on his knee with his lips pressing firmly on my own.

 **Cid's POV**

"I'm telling you! Stake should be served medium rare, not burnt to ashes." I argue with Barret. "And as for you Vincent! I don't know what you told them to do with yours but it looks like they just pulled it's horns out and wiped it's ass before putting it on a plate!"

"Man's got a point. Looked like it woulda moo'd if you'd have cut into it. Was your steak just shown a picture of an oven?" Barret joins in.

"I like it tender..." The Crimson caped vampire mutters at us.

"There's tender and then there's still alive.."Barret adds.

"Do you two always moan?" Tifa asks.

"It ain't moanin' it's constructive criticism." I fire back, taking a cigarette out of the packet as I lead the bunch of us up to our rooms.

"Sir! Excuse me Sir! You can't smoke in here!" The irritating voice of one of the hotel clerks shouts from the bottom of the stairs.

"You shittin' me?... Fine.." I sigh, holstering my cigarette for another time.

I finally reach the room that the stupid cat told me was ours, and I kick the door with my boot so Cloud opens it. A minute passes before I feel the need to give the door a much less gentle kick, only to be shouted at by Aeris.

"This the right room or not, Cat?" I bark.

"Yes! This was the boys room and the one next door was the girls!" It answers.

"We're having no luck here, either." Yuffie shrugs.

"They'll be in one of them making lil' ninja assassin babies." Barret states, making me burst into laughter.

"Barret! Don't be so crude!" Aeris scalds.

"...Come on, lets go find moody and Spiky." I say, not wanting to stand here all night.

"..Why don't you just phone him?" Nanaki say's, hopefully reducing the time between me and sleep dramatically with his suggestion.

"Good idea, Nanaki." Tifa smiles at the beast.

We all watch eagerly as Tifa holds the phone to her ear, only for the ringtone on Cloud's phone to erupt from Barret's pocket.

"...For the love of god..." I sigh. "Let's just go find them.."

"I'll wait here in case he come's back." The cat offers, surely out of laziness.

I don't wait for an answer or their approval as I jog down the staircase and out of the hotel. With the tunnels to the other platforms in front of me, I try to work out where they might be.

"Won't be the chocobo racing.. Moody's banned from there." I laugh to myself.

"Or the event square. I don't see Cloud and Light watching a play." Tifa's voice says from behind.

"What's the 'round' square? That doesn't make sense." Yuffie points out.

"Dunno, but let's go look!" Aeris says cheerfully as she takes the lead.

Thinking it was as good of a place to start as any, I follow the perky brunette through the stupid tunnels until we end up on an outside platform which has bright yellow safety barriers around the perimeter. At first glance, the place looks deserted, but Aeris skips over to the booth, before returning to us with a wide grin.

"Well spit it out." I say impatiently.

"Less of the attitude, mister." She scalds. "They went on the gondola, it should be back any second."

"I wonder why they went on a gondola ride?" Tifa asks, attempting to mask a hint of jealousy.

"Depends how long does it take to do a lap?" Barret asks, and I immediately see where he was going with his statement.

"You reckon he's showing her his buster sword?" I laugh.

"We've all seen his sword loads of- oh.. Cid! Don't be rude!" Aeris says with all of the innocence I imagined from her.

"Have you considered that they may want some privacy?" Vincent states in his usual flat tone.

"We can't go to sleep till we find em! I mean, just look at Yuffie, she needs her beauty sleep badly." I reply.

"Hey!" The young ninja shouts.

"Enough!" Nanaki barks. "It's like living with children..."

"Here they come!" Aeris giddily shouts.

We all watch out of morbid curiosity apart from Vincent, who decides to leave and give the pair I privacy they were never going to get with the rest of us stood here anyway. The gondola comes to a smooth stop and the door slides open, revealing the pair like a prize. Moody was sat on the blonde's knee with her hands cupping his face as he kissed her softly while trailing his hand down her body, oblivious to any of us. I quickly gauge the other girls reactions for something I could annoy them with later on, and find Aeris smiling from ear to ear. Tifa was also smiling, but it looked strained despite being genuine. Lots of mixed feelings there.. To my shock it was the twerp who was frowning at their antics and after a few more seconds I decide to make my presence known.

"You ain't gonna find Sephiroth down his throat ya know."

 **A/N: ERMAGAWD! Have you seen the new final fantasy 7 remake trailer/ gameplay? I can't wait!**

 **You may be wondering why I missed the play part of the date out, but this was about as out of character as I was willing to let myself go. I cannot in good conscious have Claire put on a fake 'princess' voice and act out a horrific play. But anyway, here is more Cloud and light before the story carries on to the temple of the ancients. I hope you're all still enjoying my story :)**

 **Wolf**


	28. It Must Be Love

**Cid's POV**

"You ain't gonna find Sephiroth down his throat ya know." I shout, instantly noticing Light flinch.

I actually see the others brace themselves for the inevitable shitstorm that moody was about to unleash, but to my surprise and mild disappointment, it doesn't come. Instead, I watch the blonde grip her chin delicately, to keep her focus on him as he traces his fingers up her leg, causing 'Jugs' to wince, until he reached her pocket and took out a set of brass keys. Still with his eyes fixated on hers and his thumb brushing down on her lips, Cloud tosses the keys out of the gondola and onto the platform, closely followed by his own set, before his boot kicks the door shut once more.

"Well I'll be damned.. Didn't think the kid had it in him.." I mutter with an impressed grin on my face as the gondola sets off once more.

"Hey! We got the keys!" Aeris cheers.

"Really? After what we have all just saw... You're on about the keys?" Barret says in amazement.

"That is what we came for." She answers him back. "Besides, It's none of our business."

"Like hell it ain't! He gotta keep his eyes on the prize! Sephiroth ain't gonna kill himself!" Barret shouts.

"He is keeping his eyes on the prize, Barret. And if I could see into that gondola right now, I imagine his hands are on them too." I laugh to myself as Tifa leaves in a hurry, with Vincent in her wake.

"What was all that about?" I ask, hoping for an answer.

"He means a lot to her.. She knows that Light makes him happy but she always thought something might happen between them someday." Aeris answers.

"I don't understand women..." Barret huffs.

"Don't try to.. Women understand women and they hate each other." I bestow my wise words on the man.

"No we don't, idiot." Yuffie argues.

"I saw you frowning.. I take it you got the hots for the numbskull too?" I ask, amazed at the guy's unintentional 'way' with the ladies.

"I DO NOT!" The kid blushes, before storming off.

"Cid, do you intend to annoy the entire group before bedtime?" Nanaki asks me.

"Only the one's that take the bait." I laugh. "You seem to smart for that."

"And don't ever forget it..." The beast walks off.

"Right then.. We waiting here to embarrass Light again?" I ask.

"No you're not, Cid. Come on." Aeris commands in the least threatening voice imaginable as she throws my room key at me and pushes me towards the tunnel.

After being 'escorted' back to the hotel by Aeris, We climb up the stairs to find our bedroom door already open and Cait Sith leaving. I look down at the keys in my hand and then back at the door to try and process what was happening. At first I thought it must have been the girl's room, but when I got to it, Vincent was inside.

"How the hell did you open the door without the key, cat?" I bark.

"I went to the desk and asked for the spare." It answers condecendingly, infuriating me.

"Why didn't- You could have-!... You have three seconds to run, Cat... 1...2.." I don't make it to three before the mog hobbles away as fast as it's stuffed body could take it. "And back to bed I go.."

 **Claire's POV**

Our lips finally part half way around our second gondola ride, and I remain perched on his knee with my head resting on his pauldronless (That a word?) shoulder. I feel more relaxed than I ever have before, despite the impending grief I'm going to get off Cid and Barret. Even with the fireworks exploding all around the gondola, I find my eyes fighting a loosing battle with exhaustion now that I'm in his comforting arms. I listen to the carriage come to a gentle stop and the door slide open for a second time, but I don't move, in the vain attempt of dragging the night on for as long as possible. I feel his arms slide underneath me and I'm carried outside into the cold night air, waking me up slightly.

"Just a few more minutes.." I mutter, not wanting to be put down.

"I'll take the scenic route then.." He whispers, carrying me into the tunnel.

About five minutes pass before I'm send crashing back to reality with the sound of shouting.

"Hey! Cait Sith!" Cloud shouts, sending my eyes wide. "Claire, he has the keystone!"

I tap Cloud on the chest, letting him know he can put me down, and I race after him, still with no real idea what was going on. We end up rushing through the tunnels to the battle square, only to rush straight back into another tunnel. After exploring most of the floors, we finally emerge from the next tunnel and into one of my many mistakes. The chocobo square.

"He went inside." Cloud says as he rushes up the metallic steps, taking three with every stride.

I'm actually hesitant to take pursuit, remembering Barret's words about my luck with all things Chocobo, but leaving Cloud to deal with the situation on his own was never an option. I still have no idea why the cat has the Keystone, but my feelings toward him told me it wasn't good. When I finally make it inside, it takes me a moment to locate the blonde through the crowd of people, betting and shouting at their chosen chocobo to win. Pushing through the crowd, I make my way towards him only to be tripped up. Turning around, I see Cait Sith running away, back towards the exit as I Climb back to my feet.

"Cloud!" I roar. "Exit!"

He hears me and follows me outside, only to be met with a Shinra helicopter at the edge of the steps, hovering a few feet from the ground. I reach for my weapon to open fire on Tseng, who was hanging out of the chopper, but it isn't there. My weapon was in my room and Cloud's was in his. Cait Sith throws the keystone up to Tseng, who thanks the cat before taking off. I never liked the irritating, stuffed toy, but I would have never thought he would betray us like this. Even without my weapon, I wouldn't have any trouble pulling it apart, and that is exactly what I was going to do.

"W-Wait a second! I won't run or hide!" Cait sith pleads. "Yes, I was a spy. I was hired by the Shinra."

"We all trusted you!" Cloud shouts.

"I couldn't help it.. How 'bout if we go on like nothing has ever happened?"

"No way, Cat! You gotta lot of guts acting like a friend but spying on us!" The mako eyed man says.

"Then, what are you goin' to do? Kill me?"

"There's an idea.." I mutter.

"You'd just be wasting your time if you tried. This body is just a toy anyway. My real body is at Shinra Headquarters."

"Then who are you?!" I shout.

"Whoa, I can't tell you my name!" It says in shock.

"We're not getting anywhere... Let's just pull it apart and get out of here.."

"H-Hey! I know I'm a Shinra employee, but we're not entirely enemies... Something bothers me. I think it's your way of life. You don't get paid. You don't get praised. Yet, you still risk your lives and continue on your journey. Seeing that makes me... It just makes me think about my life. I don't think I'd feel too good if things ended the way they are now.."

"Let's just throw him off the edge and be done with it.." I suggest, not buying into the cat's words.

"I knew talking would be hopeless, so I had a contingency plan." It say's pulling out a small tape recorder and pressing play.

" _Papa! Tifa!"_

"Marlene..." Cloud mutters. "If you hurt her, I'll burn that building down around you.."

"I didn't want to have to take hostages, but you left me no choice.. Tomorrow you're looking for the Temple of the Ancients. I know where it is." Cait Sith explains. "Of course we'll get there after Shinra, but you'll just have to deal with that." It adds, before walking away.

"I can't believe this..." Cloud sighs. "I can't risk anything happening to Marlene.. Looks like we're stuck with him.. At least for now.."

"We can't tell Barret.. He'll loose his mind.."I say. "Come on.. let's get back."

The pair of us make our way back to the Picman hotel and climb the red velvet staircase up to our rooms. I can hear my bed calling me though the door as my hand finds it's way onto the handle.

"Thank you for tonight.." I say softly. "..i really enjoyed myself.. Apart from the last half hour or so." I laugh.

"Me too." He smiles and walks over to me.

His lips meet mine for the final time of the night and I take in his smile as he walks into his room. I turn back to mine, hoping that the others would be asleep, to avoid any uncomfortable questions. Carefully opening the door, I slip inside without making a sound and try to focus my eyes in the darkness. Yuffie is closest to the door, fast asleep in an awkward looking position, with Aeris sleeping peacefully in the bed beside her. The final two beds are empty and I wonder to myself if Tifa had gone out.

"...We need to talk." Her voice says softly from behind, causing me to flinch in fear.

"Sure." I say as I try to gain composure and slow my thumping heart down.

"How was your date?" She asks me with watering eyes.

"Tifa, if you have something to say, just say it.."

"Do you love him?" She says quickly, reading my expression as I process the question.

"..I...I do.." My lips mutter, realizing that I had never thought about it properly.

"You can't hurt him.. I know he act's all tough but he isn't.. I don't want you to leave again.." Tifa says as a tear runs from her crimson eyes.

"I won't.. I don't want to go home anymore.."I answer sincerely.

"Then that's all I need to know.." She sniffs before coming over to me and hugging me tightly. "Goodnight, Claire." She smiles at me and returns to her bed.

While I never sought Tifa's approval, I'm grateful for it none the less, and I'd feel less awkward around the group now, with the exception of the two idiots. One of which I'm feeling rather sorry for. I have never met Marlene, but I've heard Barret and Tifa talk about her often, and it kills me to know that stuffed toy has leverage over us all because of her capture. I almost want to sneak out of here and go rescue her, but a reminder to myself about what happens every time I run off scraps the idea. Laying down on the bed; which is surprisingly comfortable considering the state of the hotel, I feel my body begin to shut down and I hope my dreams are as pleasant as my evening.

" _Do it."_

 _Shimmering crystal blinds my view before I feel the comfort of the ground beneath my feet leave me. The fall is one from great height and I watch the marble ground draw near. I squeeze my eyes closed and brace for the impact but it never comes. My eyes open once more and my boots are fixed firmly on the ground. The previous silence is shattered by screams and a fear like I've never felt washes over me. I race off in panic, darting up seemingly endless stairs so quickly my thighs burn with every step. Cold air caresses my face as my knees impact the dirt as I heave back to consciousness._

" _Thy will be done..."_

"Light, it's alright." Aeris whispers in my ear.

It takes me a moment to realize what was happening, but I finally come to my senses, sat bolt up right in bed with Aeris' arms wrapped around me tightly. This was my second hug in as many hours, but I did not resist the calming touch of the flower girl. I breathe heavily as she rubs my back, and I'm grateful everyone else is asleep to witness my recent weakness.

"It was.. just a dream... It wasn't a focus..." I tell myself.

"It's alright.. It doesn't matter what happened. What's important is that you're okay." She whispers.

"I don't know what happened.. I was falling.. and running.. There were screams.." I explain between breaths. "I need some air.." I add, gently lifting myself from her shoulder and standing up.

"When I have a bad dream, I think of something that makes me happy and go back to bed." Aeris advises. "This room is enough to give anyone nightmares..- Where are you going?"

"I'm gonna go sit downstairs for a bit.. I can't sleep now.." I answer.

She nods in understanding as I quietly leave the room and head down the red, velvet lined stairs. I turn back on myself, remembering a large red sofa on the wall next to the stairs to find glowing eyes staring back at me. I jump and inhale loudly as I place my hand over my poor heart, which must be on the verge of a breakdown.

"Can't sleep?" Cloud asks in a soft tone.

"You scared me to death!... and no.." I reply.

"Sit with me?" He says, asking rather than telling.

I almost broke into a run, somehow knowing his presence would take all of my fears away. He throws his arm out and I don't hesitate to be embraced by it, as it wraps around my shoulder with loving warmth. My head nestles into his shoulder blade and once again I feel, vulnerable yet safe at the same time.

"You have a nightmare too?" I ask, only just realizing he too was out of his room.

"...Every night..."

 **A/N: Disclaimer::: This episode was brought to you by Jack Daniels. I started this chapter with a glass in my hand and as of the last line the bottle is empty, so if this is terrible I blame the alcohol! ;p**

 **Lots more CloudxLight with a little bit of Cid to brighten the mood with his dirty mind. I was going to have this chapter as the Temple of the ancients but I needed to get some points In first. Next chapter should be a long one I imagine. I'm glad everyone seems to be loving Cid, I cant wait to see how they do him in the remake. They must have to use a bleep machine lol. The episodic thing about ff7 originally derailed the hype train I was riding, but from everything I've read, it's because the game is sooo big and they want to expand it massively, I guess it makes sense to break it up and give it to us early. The Midgar section of the original ff7 takes no time at all, but if they really increase the scope of it like they are saying, you could be looking at 30 hours of gameplay before you even leave midgar which sounds great to me. The original music composer isn't in the remake project but I imagine they will just finely polish the previous themes. Sephiroths is super cool!**

 **CrazeeistheBest, its always good to wonder, and both of our delightful pair's subconscious will have a much bigger role to play as the story continues.**

 **I've made Yuffie seem a little jealous purely because in the game she is the only one who manages to kiss him lol. Don't think I'm gonna explore it in greater detail (unless asked to) though.**

 **Just want to say a final thankyou to everyone who has taken the time to write a review and Pm me. It means a lot and the last chapter I got 7! personal best haha. When the story gets to a certain point, I'm gonna let you guys and girls decide between one of 2 very drastic story arcs, so keep your eyes out for that. Thanks for reading.**

 **Wolf**


	29. The Temple Of The Ancients

**Cloud's POV**

I'm woken to the aroma of breakfast, and the mere thought of it had my mouth watering before my eyes prized themselves open. The doors to the dining area were opened wide and I watch the light shine through into the dark crimson reception as my cerulean orbs start to focus. A shadow interrupts the sunlight and I follow it's origin to Claire, who I've only just noticed is not next to me. She smiles at me warmly and marches over.

"I've got us breakfast. You coming?" She asks.

"Sure. I'll be right in." I answer.

Claire returns back to the dining area as I stand up from a night on a sofa and walk over to the mirror. For the second time, the face that appears first is not my own. It is only brief, but the jet black hair and scar across the cheek of the man that flashes before me is enough to touch my own face in wonder. I am me.. Aren't I?.. I hear boots behind me and assume it's Claire, telling me that my food is going cold, but instead I find Barret.

"'The hell you bin?" He interrogates.

"I couldn't sleep." I answer. I'm sure he knows about my nightmares, but thankfully he shows restraint and doesn't press the matter further. "So.. She ran off again?" He asks.

"I knew it! Cid, you owe me 100 gil." Yuffie shout's from the top of the stairs.

"There's no way! The kid had her melting in his girly hands!" Cid barks. "YOU. WHAT DID YOU DO WRONG?" He demands, determined not to give Yuffie any of his money.

"What's wrong?" Aeris asks as she makes it to the top of the stairs with the others by her side.

"She-" I begin.

"Moody has done a disappearin' act again. The numbskull musta fucked up." Cid explains, not letting me get a word in edgeways.

"She's left!?" Tifa roars, as we all turn our attention to the fuming brunette.

"Yeah, Cloud fucked the date up.." Barret joins in with Cid.

"H-Hey!"

"You end up putting it somewhere it shouldn't have gone?" The pilot asks with the utmost sincerity.

"CID!" Tifa and Aeris scald him.

"I'm telling ya, it can happen to rookies.. You should have started with a bit of foreplay and then-"

"What the hell is all the noise in here?" Claire frowns as she walks back into the reception.

"She's still here?!" The room gasp together.

"HA! 100 Gil, kid." Cid smiles victoriously.

"No fair!" The ninja moans, begrudgingly handing over the money to Cid.

"I never doubted you for a second." Cid winks as he marches to the dining area victoriously.

"Will someone please explain to me what's going on?" Claire asks, almost as baffled as I am.

"Yuffie and Cid were betting on if you'd run off last night." Nanaki spoke.

"I'm not going anywhere." The pinkette says will steely confidence as she glances at me. "Come on. Food is getting cold."

We all follow Claire inside and take our seats around a two large tables. The breakfast; arguably the best thing about the hotel, didn't last five minutes with us, and we're left sat on the table listening to Cid moan about the Hotel's choice of teabags. I look around the room at the group of unlikely friends that chatted casually amongst themselves, until my gaze found it's way onto Cait Sith. The smile I had turned quickly into a scowl, but I force it away, not wanting to put suspicion on the spy for Marlene's sake.

"Hey, why don't you explain what's happened so far." The cat says in it's happy voice which now makes my skin crawl.

"Yeah, I ain't been here since the beginnin' so fill us in." Cid agrees.

"Alright then.." I begin. "We're going after Sephiroth. He seems to be searching for the promised land, but nobody knows where it is."

"Dio said the man in the black cape was looking for black materia." Cait Sith adds.

"Black materia?" Barret raises an eyebrow.

"I've no idea, but if we follow Sephiroth then we'll get our answers." I say, taking the folded up map from my pocket and laying it on the table for all to see. "I think we need to head..." I say as my finger skims over the map, until Cait Sith slyly coughs when it rests on a continent in the south east. "Here."

"Let's get a move on.. It's gonna take all god damn day to get there on that stupid plane.." Barret moans.

"You idiots got my baby shot out of the sky, would have took an hour if it flew." Cid snaps back.

 **Claire's POV**

Our group leaves the hotel and boards the now working tram back to Corel. We make our way off the platform and through the shanty town that looked just as barren as the first time I saw it. Barret keeps his head down to avoid the disgusted stares from the villagers who still blamed him for what happened to his hometown. It was hard to watch, but as we reach the edge of the shanty town, his head rises and he continues his proud march. Everyone passes me as I stop on the edge of the village and it's Vincent who notices I'm no longer with the group.

"Lightning?" He raises an eyebrow. His deep voice was enough to alert the rest of the group.

"Claire?" Cloud says, looking at me with worried eyes. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. You guys head to the plane. I'll catch up." I smile.

"B- Okay.." He nods hesitantly before turning to walk away.

I understand their hesitation to leave me considering my track record, but there was something I wanted to do, and I didn't want Barret to have to endure the hateful stares for any longer than needed. I turn back to the Village of tents and make my way through, searching high and low as I pull out the golden, lifetime pass to the Goldsaucer. My eyes trace up a metal ramp and stop on a boy, who is peering into the small stone well that I know to be dry. I march over to the boy, who notices me as I climb the metallic ramp and gives me a wide smile.

"Hey, Matt." I nod.

"Hi, lady-.. I mean erm..." He mutters, as we both realize I never told him my name.

"Claire." I smile. "I have something for you."

The brunette boy looks at me with avid curiosity as I hold out my hand with the Golden ticket. He looks at it for a moment in disbelief before looking back at me with watering eyes.

"Well take it." I laugh.

The looks at it for a moment, then launches himself at me, wrapping his arms around my waist tightly. I feel uncomfortable at first, but I relax and hug him back. He finally releases me from his grip and takes the ticket with a beaming smile.

"There's a thousand GP on that ticket apparently. That's a lot of candy and rides. Don't spend it all at once." I say, turning my back on the boy and jogging back out of the village.

"Thank you, miss Claire!" I hear the boy shout.

I hold my hand up to wave goodbye, but don't turn around. I know Cloud will be worrying about me so my jog turns into a sprint, and after ten minutes I see them on the horizon. I race after them, closing the gap to about one hundred meters before Cloud turns around and spots me. He struggles to reign in his relieved face and stops to wait for me. The pair of us walk behind the rest of the group, enjoying each others presence as we walk towards the shore.

"What are we going to do if somebody has stolen the Tiny Bronco?" Tifa asks, raising a valid point.

"Nobody's gonna steal that heap of shit." Barret huffs.

"Just so we're clear.. When this is over, you're all buying me a new plane." Cid commands.

We finally reach the coast, and sure enough, Barret was right. The downed plane remained beached right where we left it, and it takes us only a few minutes to push it back into the water. Cid starts the engine after some gentle persuasion and we all climb aboard, distributing our weight evenly as Cloud sits in the center with the black, plastic case that was now void of a keystone. I wondered how he was going to find a way of not telling them he no longer had it, without telling Barret about the fate of his daughter.

Only a few hours into our voyage, and Yuffie is dangling from the plane's aileron, vomiting violently as the cold weather and spray of the ocean dampen our spirits as quickly as our clothing.

 _(To the tune of sweet home Alabama)_

"I left home 'cuz of Shinra... Don't know what I'm gonna do... I got shot down by the Shinra... Shera, ain't comin' home to you.." Cid starts to sing. "Now I'm stuck with these numbskulls.. Lord what the hell did I do to you.."

"Now this plane, it ain't flyin'... So we're sailing it 'cross the sea... To stop Sephiroth and the Shinra.. To save the planet for my Marlene..." Barret adds.

"Because we can't staaaand the Shinra... But now we know just what to do... We're gonna find the Ancient temple, before Rufus and his crew.." Cid continues, causing Tifa and Aeris to grin and watch the pair. "And when Rufus is defeated... Sephiroth, yeah he'll be next... Just so long as our leader... Stops trying to get his pink haired friend undressed.."

I feel my face burn, but if laughing at my expense cheers the group up, then so be it.. As long as he doesn't make a habit of it.. It does make me think of what might have been last night if Cait Sith didn't steal the keystone. Would he have wanted it to go further than a kiss? Would I? I feel nervous just thinking about it.. The thought of willingly being at your most vulnerable, as your body was explored by another was a new and terrifying concept which had never once crossed my mind. Yet curiosity draws my eyes to survey the blonde, mentally undressing him at a glance.

"Yo ho me hearties! Land ahoy!" Cid barks. Pointing to the horizon.

"...Cid.. You're not a pirate..." Yuffie coughs, still dangling over the edge.

"Thanks to you idiot's I ain't a pilot either!"

"...There is something to be said for solitude..." Vincent mutters, and I can't help but grin in agreement.

"Well we're in the right place..." Cloud says, standing up on the wing.

"What do you see?" Aeris asks, standing up next to him.

"There.." He answers, standing behind her and pointing over her shoulder so she could follow his finger.

"Oooh! I see it! The Temple!" The brunette claps excitedly. "It's sticking out over the trees!"

Everyone stands up quickly to see the temple we've been searching for and the quick shift in weight rocks the plane, making it very unstable. The engine mounted wing tips take turns to splash the deep blue ocean as Cid does his best to correct the vessel.

"Sit ya goddamn ass down!" He roars, getting no objections from the group. "..Dealing with fuckin' idiots..."

We all grin to ourselves at the fact we nearly all took an unexpected dip in the ocean, when I see confusion plastered across Cloud's face. His eyes dart around and I quickly see why. Yuffie was no longer aboard. Our eyes look behind us in the plane's wake to find half of an arm struggling to the surface, slowly sinking to the depths.

"Hold this!" The blonde shouts, dropping his sword in Barret's unsuspecting lap as he dives overboard.

"What the hell is he doin'!" He shouts as the colossal blade lands on his knee.

"Yuffie has fell off. Cid, turn this thing around." I say calmly as I watch Cloud swim like a torpedo towards the now fully submerged ninja.

"Do we have to?" He asks without a care in the world.

"CID!" We all roar at him in unison.

"Alright, alright..." He moans, turning the plane around and heading towards Cloud.

We all watch with bated breath as Cloud dives below the waters surface for what feels like forever. I stand up, ready to jump in myself, when Yuffie's head breaks the surface followed by Cloud's. Cid cuts the throttle and turns into them, using the momentum the masterfully stop within inches of them so Cloud didn't need to swim. Nanaki is first on the scene and grips the ninja by her shoulder guard and pulls her onto the wing with ease.

"... Did I ever tell you guys that I couldn't swim..." She says weakly, staring at the sky.

"Are you okay?" Nanaki asks with concern.

Yuffie merely smiles and briefly puts her thumb up before shutting her eyes to concentrate on catching her breath.

Vincent, who seems to be filled with helium, walks across the wing without making it move so much as an inch, and offers his hand down to Cloud, who's having a minute as he holds onto the side of the plane. The blonde takes his hand gratefully and is pulled back onto the plane by his crimson cloaked friend, nodding a thanks to him before sitting down.

"This is your captain speaking. If we could all remain on our asses, that would be great!" Cid barks as he turns back around towards land.

We soon reach the shore of this island that seems to have been forgotten over the centuries. The only thing that shows any sign of human presence was the temple that was poking out over a small forest. The rest of the land looks completely wild and untouched. No litter, no tracks or trails, just nature's natural beauty.

"Me and Light will go check the temple out. You guys make camp at the treeline. Stay warm, stay hidden." Cloud instructs.

"I'm coming too!" Aeris pleads with puppy dog eyes that even I found difficult not to agree with.

"Alright then. Let's go." I nod.

"What should we do while you three are off sight seeing?" Barret asks.

"Teach her to swim.." Cloud answers, pointing to Yuffie, before turning to the forest and setting off.

Cloud takes point and scouts out the area as Aeris walks happy next to me, smiling to herself as she takes in the beauty of the forest. I imagine that anyone that spent their life in the slums of a city would love to explore places like this, but I think it means more to Aeris. I learned a lot from the people of Cosmo Canyon, and from what they told me about the Cetra, it was easily to see why the brunette enjoyed the many forms of the planets vibrant life force. Each tree, flower and blade of grass was just as precious as the people and animals of the planet to her, because they are all creations of the lifestream, all children to mother nature.

"Aeris.. Do all planet's have a lifestream?" I ask, wondering for the first time how life on Cocoon; an artificial, hollow planet worked.

"I'm not sure.. but I would have thought so." She answers truthfully. "There's all sorts of powers in the universe, but life on this world should function in a similar manner to yours.. Do you miss it?"

"I miss my sister.. The rest of the world I could do without.." I reply.

"You'll see her again, one day."

I don't know why, but I believed her. I've already decided that I'm not leaving this world, but her words seemed like she was telling me something she knew to be true. A factual statement rather than a moral boosting lie. She seemed no different from the others, or even me, but just being in her presence, I could tell that she was 'special'. There was a kindness and warmth about her that makes me trust her implicitly.

"We're here!" Cloud shouts back to us as we come to the end of the forest.

We both jog though the last few trees to find the temple, that stood in almost pristine condition, bar a few cracks in the dark stone wall that surrounded it. A sturdy looking wood and iron bridge spanned over a dry moat and lead through an archway in the wall to reveal a staircase that ascended up to the temple's entrance.

"This is... The temple of the ancients..." Aeris says, kneeling down and rubbing her fingers over the dirt. "I know... I feel it... The knowledge of the ancients... floating.. You could become one with the planet, but you're stopping it with the strength of will.. For the future? For us?.."

"Aeris, what are you saying? I don't understand." Cloud says softly, kneeling next to her.

She doesn't answer him, but instead darts off over the bridge. The mako eyed man looks back at me with concern and follows Aeris up the temple stairs, stopping half way up.

"You're uneasy... But happy? Because I'm here?... I don't understand." She mutters to herself before turning to us. "I want to go inside." She demands playfully like a child.

"You any idea what she's talking about?" I mutter to the blonde, trying my best not to move my lips.

"Not a clue.." He mutters back. "Okay Aeris, but stay close to us."

The brunette smiles and nods as she waits for us to catch up to her, and the three of us make our way up the stone steps. My eyes scan the area, constantly on guard knowing that Shinra soldiers or Turks would more than likely be here already thanks to Cait Sith. A black shadow emerges from the entrance and I quickly draw my gunblade as I position myself in front of Aeris. Cloud spots it to and grips the handle of his sword as he watches the dark figure stagger towards the steps. I take aim, but the figure collapses in a heap and ceases to move as I advance.

"..Black... Materia..." The man mumbles before death claims him.

"Look..." Aeris says quietly, pointing to the cloaked man's wrist.

"A number nine tattoo." I say. "Lets go.. He's gone.."

My weapon is in it's holster for less than a second before it's drawn again at the sight of Tseng, but it soon becomes apparent that he was in no position to fight back. Blood pours between his fingers that are clutching his abs tightly and his strained expression shows he's struggling to breathe.

"It's Tseng!" Aeris gasps.

"It's not the promised land Sephiroth... is looking for..." The Turk struggles.

"Sephiroth is inside?!" Cloud questions.

"Look for yourself..." Tseng coughs. "Letting Aeris go.. Was the start... of my bad luck... The president was wrong..."

"You're wrong!" Aeris shouts, surprising us all. "The promised land isn't like what you imagined.. And I'm not going to help... Either way.. there was no way Shinra would have won."

"Pretty harsh... Sounds like something... You'd say..." Tseng struggles but raises his arm to point to the blonde. "They keystone... place it on the altar.."He adds, rolling the keystone across the ground before crawling to one of the six pillars to rest on.

I scoop up the keystone and pace over to the altar, examining it carefully to figure out how it worked. With no visible doors, I felt nervous about placing the stone orb into the watery crevice that was cut out of the plinth. Cloud and Aeris stand behind me and I find myself glancing over my shoulder for their approval, which is given by a firm nod. Carefully, I place the keystone in the slot and the liquid it sinks into begins to glow and pulsate before spilling out onto the altar. Nothing seems to be happening, leaving me confused and left to wonder if the keystone was a one use item. I'm about to declare this voyage a wasted journey when I feel myself sinking into the ground.

The three of us begin to struggle instinctively but when I look down it becomes clear that we weren't sinking, but completely phasing through the floor. My eyes shut as the floor engulfs me, but I open them again when I feel the wind brush my hair across my face.

"Are you seeing this?" I ask in disbelief when my eyes open to find a never ending maze of stone staircases and tunnels that interlace as far as the eye can see. "How is this inside the Temple?"

"Words... Feelings.. So many of them here.." Aeris says, not taken back by the view at all. "oh! Look!" She adds, pointing to what could possibly be a small man in the distance wearing a purple robe.

"There doesn't seem to be an exit. Lets go check it out." Cloud states.

 **Aeris POV**

Knowing that Cloud and Light are behind me is a great comfort as I explore the maze of staircases. The robed figure has moved out of our sight, but I feel he is of importance, so I try my best to figure out a path across a sea of never ending walkways. Voices flood my mind in whispers, and I try my best to make sense of them; or at least single out Sephiroth's voice. I know he's here, moving through the temple like a wraith; a spirit who refuses to accept his fate.

"Watch your step." Light says as she notices me getting closer to the edge to look down to the level below.

"Hey, Light. Do you think we could climb down that?" I ask hopefully, pointing to a thick ribbon of ivy that ran down the side of the walkway we stood on.

"Hmm.." She hums, kneeling down and examining the plant. "Looks like the roots have weaved into the stone. It should take our weight- but I'll go first to be sure."

I watch with bated breath as Light begins to climb down the carpet of ivy with the skill of a seasoned mountaineer. Her feet touch down at the bottom and she gives a thumbs up for me to proceed. Cloud offers me his hand, and I take it with a smile. He slowly lowers me down onto the ivy with his unreal strength. My eyes avoid his gaze as I grip the edge of the wall and plant my feet into the roots. Even now, its hard not to see Zack in Cloud's face. It takes me a minute, but I get to the bottom with minimal fuss. Cloud is right behind me and touches back down on the ground as me and Light set off down the next flight of stairs. The steps take a left turn, leading only a few feet before a short wall ends it abruptly. The rose haired woman launches herself up the wall with grace and lowers her hand down to take mine. It was only about head height the wall, and I was more than capable of climbing it myself, but I would never turn down a helping hand from a friend.

"I see it!" I say excitedly, noticing the tuft of a purple robe vanish through a tunnel to our left.

"Aeris, wait!" I hear Light warn as she waits for Cloud.

In my haste for answers, I ignore my friend's command and run through the tunnel and up stone steps into what seems to be another place entirely. It doesn't seem to be possible that this vast room of pure nothingness could exist in such a tiny tunnel, but nothing about the temple so far seems to make any sense. All I see before me is a stone platform which is suspended over a dark void that looks ready to swallow me for the slightest stumble. I remain stationary as I scan the length of the narrow walkway, until my eyes fall on a large stone platform that forks off from the main walkway, containing a pool of liquid. Even from here, I hear the voices of the planet whisper to me from its placid surface, begging me to come closer.

I require little persuasion to begin my careful walk along the stone path, but I only make it about twenty feet when I feel the ground start to shake. I look ahead, into the blackness to find a bolder drop from the void and onto the pathway, picking up pace as it makes it's way to me.

"LOOK OUT!" Light shouts as I hear her boots sprint across the walkway.

Frozen in fear, I watch the lump of rock menacingly roll towards me before its too much to bare and I close my eyes tightly. I feel myself get thrown to the ground, and I'm pinned there for a moment. When I finally open my eyes, I see Cloud and Light huddled over me protectively. The pair almost looks as surprised as I do when we find the boulder had passed us without squashing us.

"How did you know we wouldn't get squashed?" I ask.

"We didn't.." Cloud and Light sigh. "...Looks like over thousands of years, water has eroded one side of it and we were lucky enough to have stopped in the right place."

"Cloud! I hear the knowledge of the ancients coming from that pool over there!" I shout, excitedly skipping towards it. "No... Not knowledge.. A living soul... It's trying to say something." I mumble, kneeling to get closer to the water. "...Danger... An Evil consciousness.."

The placid water that once had a purple hue, cleared into blackness, before an image emerged onto the surface. It was Tseng. Stood in a room full of murals, examining them with interest. I feel Sephiroth's presence around me before his image appears in the water's surface. It had only just dawned on me that we were watching a not to distant past, which I know ended terribly for the Turk. The three of us watch as Sephiroth explains his plan to Tseng, about how he was becoming one with the planet.

" _The way lies here..." Sephiroth explains, pointing to the murals on the wall before cutting down the Turk with a ferocious swing of his sword._

"Aeris, do you know where that room with the pictures is?" Cloud asks.

"I think it's further this way." She answers with a smile.

"Come on.. I'm going to end this once and for all..." He says with fire in his eyes.

 **Claire's POV**

Aeris follows Cloud back onto the main walkway, but I remain fixated on the small pool. I stare at it's surface for a moment, before something catches my eye from above. My hand dives for my gunblade at the sight of Sephiroth, but I don't draw it when I realize it's only an image. He stops his decent as his smoky figure touches down on the water's surface and he smiles at me with a sinister grin.

" _My plans are dark and impenetrable as night, but when I strike it will be with a thunderbolt.. Soon you will know true hatred.. that's when your decision will be made.."_

The silver haired devil's gravely voice echo's in my mind as his ghostly image descends into the liquid and out of sight. I stare at the water for another moment, when a gently placed hand on my shoulder causes me to flinch in fear.

"Hey, you alright?" Cloud says softly, but with concern in his eyes.

"I- Yeah.. Let's go." I force a smile.

I don't know what made me keep what I saw to myself, but I thought it best to continue on without telling them. The pathway ends and enters a dark tunnel, which I take the lead. It's pitch black inside and I pace slowly, ensuring my leading foot is always planted firmly before lifting my other. After a dozen or so methodical steps, my boot no longer finds reassurance in the ground below. I let it sink an inch lower before I'm satisfied there's nothing there, and quickly throw my arms out to block the tunnel.

"Stop." I order.

"What's wrong, Light?" Aeris asks curiously.

"I'm not sure yet.. one second.." I say distractedly while rummaging through my pocket.

Eventually I find what I'm looking for, and pull out one of three small distress flares. I take the striker cap off as I pray that my frequent encounters with water hadn't ruined it. To my relief, the flare bursts into life when I used the cap to ignite it, filling the room with it's bright red glow.

"Is that a clock?" Cloud asks, peering over my shoulder.

"The ancients had far to much time on their hands.." I mutter, annoyed at another strange and innovative way of stopping us from progressing. "I think If I walk into the middle, I'll be able to move the clock hands."

"There's eleven possibilities. Which one do you try?" Aeris asks.

"All of them.. process of elimination." I answer.

I press down onto the tip of the clock hand with the ball of my foot, making sure it could support my weight, before taking my first step onto the narrow beam. I get about half way across the ten foot beam when the second hand bursts into life, moving it's blade like edge towards me with every tick of the mechanism. I pick up the pace, making it to the middle with only a second or two to spare, but the central platform doesn't appear to be connected to anything and spins under my feet. My hands shoot out to balance me, but in my efforts to stabilize myself, I drop the flare and watch it fall down the shaft. It finally lands about a hundred feet below me, between piles of scattered bones and a golden chest.

"That sure is a long way down.." Aeris says as she peers over the edge.

"Claire, be careful." Cloud warns.

"I will. Which one do you want to try first? You two are at the 10 'O' clock tunnel."

"Straight across. Number four. Let's start easy.." He says with a worried tone.

Nodding in agreement, I get on my hands and knees and start to move the minute finger to the tunnel with the number four engraved above it in roman numerals. I cross myself first, and give a thumbs up to the pair, signaling that they should proceed. Cloud brings the brunette to the ledge and waits for the second hand to pass before the pair cross, with Cloud behind Aeris, holding her waist. They make it across with relative ease, but I don't want to be doing that for another ten times.

"Phew!" Aeris whistles. "Lead the way, Light."

I walk through the short tunnel as I reach into my pocket for another flare; one I plan on keeping hold of. It takes a couple attempts to light, but my stubbornness finally prevails and the stone room is lit up with a crimson glow. The circular room was almost bare, apart from some old torches; which I imagined were older than Cocoon, and a long rod that was resting on what was left of it's wooden display stand. The flower girl marches straight over to it and rubs the centuries of dust off it's metallic shaft before bringing it into the light of the flare.

The staff was in near perfect condition compared to the rest of the temple, and looked like it was crafted by a master artisan. The shaft of the staff was shaded in three colours. Black at the bottom, red in the middle and bare steel at the top, which contrasted with the crimson orb that looked like a summon materia. What was most impressive however was the golden 'butterfly' wings that sat at the top of the pole, still razor sharp.

"Is that thing any use to you?" Cloud asks.

"Yes.. I feel it.. The power of the Cetra.." She says, gripping the staff with two hands for the first time.

I thought it was the reflection of the flare in the ruby crystal that gave it it's glow, but it soon became apparent that the staff came alive in the brunette's hands. Tossing the flare onto the ground, me and Cloud examine the ancient weapon in awe, before deciding to continue.

"Follow me." Aeris says with a much more confident tone than usual.

We follow Aeris back down the tunnel stopping at it's edge. I'm about to squeeze past the pair to begin moving the clock hands but the brunette blocks my path.

"Watch." She says, holding the staff out towards the clock. "This is the time guardian. It can be controlled by the will of the Cetra. I understand now."

The arms move on their own as if possessed, stopping at 4:25. We quickly cross and rush down the tunnel with avid curiosity. This time, we're met with a golden box that was engraved with beautiful pictures of strange animals that I'd never seen before. Cloud tries to open it, but it's sealed shut. Or at least until Aeris touches it with the tip of her staff. The chest clicks open and the blonde opens it, pulling out a short length of red ribbon. He looks at it with a frown, trying to find it's purpose, but is quickly defeated.

"It's just material." Cloud sighs, holding it up to the brunette.

"No.. It's got Cetra protection spells on it.. I have one just like it in my hair. It was my mothers.."

"What can it do?" He asks, is interest peaking.

"It protects the wearer from harmful elements and spells like petrification." Aeris answers.

He hums to himself in understanding and paces over to me, unclasping the brown leather strap I wore on my right arm. I don't object as he places the leather strap into his pocket, but watch curiously as he replaces it with the ribbon, tying in a neat bow on the top of my arm.

"I know it might just be a ribbon, but I'll try anything to keep you safe.." He says in a near whisper.

I lean into him, eager to find his lips but stop myself, remembering Aeris was right behind us.

"Oh just kiss him already!" Aeris laughs.

I don't need to be told twice, and my lips are soon on his. It was only brief, but when I pulled away, his faint smile and bright eyes filled me with warmth.

"About time!" The brunette jokes. "Are we ready?"

"Yeah, let's get you some answers." Cloud nods.

Once again, we end up back to the Clock, and Aeris masterfully moves it with her Ancient staff, setting a path for us to enter the 'VI' tunnel. Again we cross the clock's hands, but this time there is a light at the end of the tunnel. I had come to accept that physics didn't seem to apply inside the temple, but my mind was struggling to accept the sight that met me at the end of the tunnel. We where stood on the side of a cliff face, looking out onto a large forest below. Seeing the vast blue sky in front of me, yet knowing I was still inside the temple was an unsettling thought, and I would imagine if the ancient booby traps didn't kill you, this warped perception of reality would turn you insane.

"...Aeris..?" Cloud says, hoping for an explanation.

"Sorry.. I've not nothing.." She says, gawping at the view herself.

"Look!" I shout, pointing to the purple robed being that had just pocketed a key and rushed off inside another cave entrance. "I was too busy taking in the view to notice him.." I scald myself.

"I wonder if he can open this door?" Aeris says, touching the huge metal doors that the strange being had presumably locked.

"Only one way to find out.." I say, rushing after the creature.

I rush through the tunnel which descends rapidly as it twists and turns, only to be stood on another ledge on the cliff face. Looking around, I spot more tunnels on either side the one I had just left, and with no idea which one to take, I stop for a moment and assess my surroundings.

"Cloud!?" I shout.

"Claire!" I hear him shout back, above me.

"Down here!" I shout. "There's loads of tunnels, we're gonna have to try and corner it."

"Okay!" He agrees.

Cloud and Aeris make their way through the tunnel to me, and the three of us take the remaining three entrances, ensuring our victory. I run through, exiting the tunnel to find myself on yet another ledge, surrounded by more tunnels, but the excited yelp of Aeris above me gave me hope. Doubling back, I eventually find Cloud and then Aeris, who is brandishing a brass key in her hand and a wide smile on her face.

"Let's go open the door." She grins.

We make our way back to the large iron door and let Aeris do the honors as me and Cloud draw our weapons, ready for Sephiroth. With the door unlocked, Cloud kicks it open and charges in, ready to settle a score that has sat with him for years. I race in behind him, but it quickly becomes apparent that Sephiroth isn't inside. We have however, discovered the room with the murals on, and I can't help but study them with fascination.

"Sephiroth! Where are you!?" Cloud roars, unsatisfied that he wasn't here.

" _So cold.." The voice of Sephiroth says quietly, before a ghostly image of him appears. "I'm always by your side... Come.." he adds, vanishing briefly, before reappearing further down the room. "Splendid.. A treasure house of knowledge.. Look well.."_

"At what!?" Cloud roars, annoyed that no harm could come to this ghostly projection.

" _At that which adds to the knowledge of... I am becoming one with the planet.." He laughs. "..Mother... It's almost time.. Soon we will become one.."_

"How do you plan on becoming one with the planet?" Aeris asks defiantly, not afraid of the silver haired man.

" _it's simple.. Once the planet is hurt, it gathers spirit energy to heal the injury. The amount of energy gathered depends on the size of the injury.. What do you think would happen if there was an injury that threatened the very life of the planet?" He asks, ramming his ethereal blade into the ground. "Think of all the energy that would be gathered.. And at the center of that injury would be me. All of that boundless energy will be mine! I will become a new lifeform. A new existence. I will cease to exist as I am now and be reborn a God."_

"An injury to destroy the planet?" Aeris questions.

" _Behold, the mural. The ultimate destructive magic.. Meteor."_

"That'll never happen!" Cloud shouts as the ghostly figure vanishes. "Where are you, Sephiroth!"

A minute passes before we accept that Sephiroth was gone, but my concern quickly turns to the blonde, who is staring at the murals on the wall and laughing to himself as he mumbled about black materia and meteor. Also worried, Aeris shakes Cloud's shoulder to snap him out of his madness.

"Cloud!" She shouts to him.

"Cloud?.. I'm Cloud.." He mumbles. "..How should I?.. I remember.. I remember my way.."

...Cloud." I say softly, instantly earning his gaze.

"Hmm? What's wrong?" He asks.

"..Nothing.." I reply after glancing at Aeris.

"..Right.." He frowns. "Anyway.. I understand what Sephiroth was talking about.. It's all shown in the murals."

We study the murals to get a better understanding of the situation, but after less than a minute, the ground begins to shake violently.

"Sephiroth!" Cloud roars.

" _Hahaha... it is not me.."_

 **A/N: Much longer this time. I was hoping to have gotten to a certain point in the story by christmas, but it looks like I'll be a chapter or two off. As it happens, Ireland is only a ferry ride away ;P My bad on the Vincent part. What it should have said was that he left the edge of the platform but was still there. (Just not being a nosey git like the others!) As he still needed the room key (Well he didn't.. but he didn't know that)**

 **Anyone have any guesses about where this story is heading? Ive dropped one or two hints in the story as I've gone although they are not the type to slap you in the face so it could easily be missed. Hope you're all still enjoying.**

 **Wolf**


	30. The Taker Of Life

**Claire's POV**

"Great... What now.." I huff, drawing my weapon.

"I think we're about to find out.." Cloud says calmly, pointing his sword to the entrance of the room.

Even from the other end of the room, we could see the heat mirage pouring into entrance. A couple of earth moving stomps later, the head of a crimson dragon pokes through the metal doors and locks onto us. It was smaller than the green dragon Dio had pumped full of steroids, but it looked older and much more sinister. We watch its chest inflate and quickly realize just how much trouble we were in. The shape of the room left no possible way of escaping the flames and the dragon seemed to know that as it took it's time, understanding that our freedom lay behind it.

"Shit.." I mutter as the dragon's razor sharp jaw opens wide.

A bright blue flame poured from it's snout straight towards us and I close my eyes, bracing myself for the dragon's wrath. The thought of Cloud was all I could think about as I waited for death, but it soon became apparent that it was not to be. I open my eyes to find Aeris, stood tall with her staff held out in front of her. The flames hit an invisible barrier, inches from her weapon and rolled back violently towards the beast. The brunette's legs were shaking under the force, and I quickly stand behind her and place and hand on my shoulder in the hope that some of my strength would augment her own. Cloud dives his hand into his pocket and pulls out a yellow orb and slots it into his weapon, casting the spell 'Big Guard' on the three of us, adding further protection and aiding Aeris.

"Aeris, as soon as the dragon's breath stops, drop the shield." I command, receiving a strained nod.

A couple of seconds pass before the red dragon's breath has been used up, and Aeris relinquishes her powerful barrier as instructed. They both look at me, curious of my plan, and I try not to disappoint. In my hand is the ruby orb that I cherished, and I squeezed it tightly in my palm, summoning it's strength. A spiral of thick black smoke erupts from the ground, blocking our view of the dragon, before finally dispelling to reveal something I hadn't quite expected. I didn't know why I thought it would be 'my' Odin, but it certainly wasn't. I watched as the back of a demonic knight emerged from the smoke, sat atop a mighty, six legged horse with a fiery mane. It's helmet was golden and had two large demon horns bursting out from either side. It examined it's enemy as it summoned up a crimson lance made entirely out of light. The six legged horse rears and Odin uses the momentum to help launch the light lance straight through the dragon, dropping it instantly. The crimson lance fades to nothing, followed closely by Odin, that disperses into the atmosphere in the same acrid smoke it was born from.

"Nicely done." Cloud praises me, walking over to the corpse of the dragon.

He touches it's thick hide, but retracts his hand quickly when it's entire body bursts into a blinding light. We all shield our eyes, waiting for the light to subside, and when it does, all that was left was a ruby orb that sat on the dusty ground.

"Materia." He smiles, picking up the orb and examining it.

"So.. what now?" I ask.

"Come take a look at this!" Aeris says excitedly. "It looks like a model of the temple."

"I wonder what it does.." Cloud mutters.

"..There's something written on it.. A.. Oh, black materia!"

"Let's take it." I say, gripping the model, but instantly regretting it when the room starts to shake.

"Wait a minute. I'll ask." Aeris smiles. "I don't understand... What?... Really!?" She talks to herself. "This whole temple is the black materia."

"That's a pretty clever way of making sure nobody ever takes it." I state, impressed with the ancient's ingenuity.

"The model is a puzzle. As you solve it, the temple becomes smaller, but it would crush whoever was inside." Aeris explains.

"So it's safe here if we leave it?" I ask.

"No. Sephiroth has lots of flunkies that would die for him. He could have one of them take it for him." Cloud answers.

" _I may be of some help"_

"Did you hear that?" Aeris asks. "Oh, Cloud! Your phone!"

"Hello?" He says into his phone. "No, I'm not letting Shinra have the black materia either... Fine.."

"Whats wrong?" I ask.

"Cait Sith is going to do it. His body is just a toy."

"Do you think that's a good idea?" I question, hoping he understands my meaning.

"I don't really have another solution.. Looks like we're going to have to.. Let's go. We need to get out of here."

Aeris hums in agreement, and the three of us make our way back outside onto the cliff edge before returning through the tunnel. The flare at the bottom of the pit had long since expired, but the light from Aeris' staff lit the way. The three of us pause as we reach the clock face, all noticing that it was not in the same position as we had left it. It now pointed straight across, carving a path to the 'XII' position. The brunette didn't question where the temple was guiding us... Or was it Sephiroth?..Pulling the strings from an unknown location. It was truly a terrifying thought that a man was capable of such feats; disappearing and appearing at will. He wasn't content with ruling the world, he wanted it gone..

Through the tunnel, we were met with a square room with another large, metallic double door blocking our path. Either side of the oxidized copper doors sat flaming torches that lit up the rough stone wall with an amber glow. I look around cautiously as Cloud made his way to the door, which hopefully leads to the exit. A metallic rattle echos around the room as the blonde pulls on the ring shaped handles with little success.

"It's warm.." He says, turning towards us.

My mouth opens, ready to offer a suggestion on how to open the door, when the wall behind him catches my eye. It seems to be... bleeding.. No, it was like molten wax, pouring out of the porous stone and solidifying into ever growing mounds. The room starts to shake, and I'm expecting another dragon, but what appears from the wall seems far worse.

"...Cloud... Behind you..." Aeris whispers, pointing at the wall.

The mounds of bloody material began to harden and move, until they eventually formed a demonic head and two giant claws that sat above the metal door, protecting it like Cerberus guarding the gates of hell. Cloud dives towards us, just missing a swipe from the demon as I open fire on it's head. It throws it's hand up violently, summoning up the very ground we stood on within the form of deadly spikes. Aeris rolls out of the way of the impaling earth, and I can't help but be surprised by her agility. I can only assume Tifa had taught her some of her martial arts. The hairs on the back of my neck stand on end as I feel a mass of energy building in the room. I turn to Cloud, ready to warn him that something was coming, but the aura of power was pouring from him. Wisps of pale blue light roll off his skin as he coils the buster sword behind his back. The muscles in his lean body tighten and flex, storing the energy, before he unleashes it with a mighty swing that sends a beam of blinding light out of it's edge.

The demon roars in pain as one of it's clawed hand and some of it's face were disintegrated by the blast. Once again, I'm in awe of the man that I had grown to love, but this time my admiration would cost me dearly. I had done something I had not done in a very long time. I took my eyes off my enemy..

 **Cloud's POV**

The demon roars in pain, but I know it's not over yet. It's remaining limb possesses the stone room, shaking it violently, and I do my best to steady myself. Chips of rock bounce of my metal shoulder guard before finally making their way to the floor, and when I look up, I see pieces of the stone ceiling begin to fall. My sword comes up over my head automatically, as I turn to the others, only to witness a falling rock hit Claire over the head, knocking her down like a rag doll.

"Claire!" I shout, forgetting about my own safety and rushing towards her.

I drop to my knees before I've even stopped and slide the final few feet to the pinkette, who hasn't shown any sign of life since she was struck. A deep maroon liquid pools around her limp head, matting her pale pink hair with the ever falling dust from the roof. I'm hesitant in rolling her over, terrified of the damage I might find on the back of her head, but I know I have to. Carefully, I roll her onto her side and heal the cut and fractured scull, but she still shows no sign of life.

"Aeris!" I shout in desperation.

"Little busy!" She shout's back to me, making me realize that I had left her to fight the demon on her own.

"Help Claire! I've got this!"

"Okay!" She nods, rushing over to the pinkette's side.

I cast a weak barrier over the pair, cursing myself that I hadn't strengthened the materia more for situations like this, as I take center stage against the battle scared demon. Swinging my sword around like a shot put, I release it and watch as it skewers the monster like I giant throwing knife. It probably didn't have long left, but I launch bolt after bolt of lighting at my sword, using it as a conductor to fry the demon. It works as I expected, and what was left of the monster melts away, dropping my sword and leaving behind a broken but bare wall.

"Is she okay!?" I ask the brunette, but she doesn't answer.

I watch as Aeris cups her palms and blows into the gap gently, as if trying to light kindling with a tiny ember. I find myself praying that whatever she was doing was going to work, and I don't have long to wait. Opening her hands up, Aeris places them on Claire's chest, who coughs back to consciousness. I hear myself breath a sigh of relief as take a seat next to the pair. My arms scoop her up instinctively, as I move her from the puddle of blood and brush her pink locks from her eyes.

"Thank you, Aeris." I smile as Claire's weary eyes open slowly.

"...ugh... I feel like I've had to sit through one of Cid's lectures..." Claire says weakly.

"She's better." Aeris laughs. "You think you can stand up?"

"Hmm." She nods, but I help her up anyway.

"What are ya all sittin' around for? I told you guys to get outta here!" Cait sith shouts sending us all into a panic.

"DON'T DO THAT!" We all shout in unison. All of us in no mood be be surprised.

"Yeah, yeah. You get to safety. I'll handle the rest." The cat says cheerily. "Take care of yourselves!"

"...Come on Cloud, say something..." Aeris whispers, feeling sorry for the stuffed toy.

"I'm not good at this." I answer, not wanting to tell Aeris what Cait Sith really was.

"Hey, why don't you read our fortunes!" Aeris says cheerily.

"I haven't done that in a while, huh? Sure thing! What should a predict?"

"Hmmmmm... Tell me how compatible Cloud and Light are." She asks.

"Okay! Coming up!" Cait sith shouts as he begins to wiggle and shake. "Oh WOW! A perfect match! You are made for each other!"

I feel myself gritting my teeth at what is merely a Shinra spy's facade, but I say nothing to allow Aeris her happiness. She claps excitedly as me and Claire force a smile, before Cait Sith finally turns to the tunnel.

"Be strong, Cait Sith!" The brunette shouts as it hops through the tunnel and out of sight.

"Come on.. We really need to be going." I order, not wanting to be inside when it starts to shrink.

The three of us walk through the now opened door Cait Sith entered by, but the room we ended up in seemed to be a dead end. I turn back to the exit, only to watch the doors slam shut, sealing us in. The once bright light on Aeris staff fades, throwing us all into darkness as I feel the sandy ground beneath my feet start to move and pulsate as it rises. I raise my hand up high, ready to feel the surely nearing ceiling, but my hand goes through it like water, followed by my arm and then head. When the light finally makes it to my eyes, I realize exactly where I am. The temple entrance.

"I don't think I'll ever get used to that.." Claire huffs as she emerges at my side, followed by Aeris.

"It's like the temple had enough of us and spat us out." I joke. "...Tseng is gone."

"I wonder if he died?.." Aeris says quietly. "I don't feel like he has.."

"Come on.. Let's get clear.." I say softly, leading her down the temple stairs and across the bridge.

I had barely crossed the bridge when the ground begins to tremble, spinning the three of us around to watch in awe as the stone temple turns obsidian and begins to contract. Bolts of black lightning arc off the structure as its enveloped in pure darkness, which fades away to reveal an emptiness where the temple once stood. I rush over the bridge and peer into the pyramid cavern to find a small obsidian ball at the center.

"That's the black materia." I smile to myself as I jump down and make my way towards it.

Aeris follows me down as Claire provides overwatch with her gunblade. As I make my way towards it, I can't help but think about Cait Sith's body trapped inside. I know it was just a toy, but it seemed to have a life of it's own. I wonder if the Shinra spy controlling it finally grew a conscious and decided to help us. I breathe a sigh of relief as my hand grips the orb tightly, knowing that it was not in the hands of my enemy.

"As long as we have this, Sephiroth won't be able to use meteor." I state victoriously. "Can you use it?" I ask Aeris.

"Nope, we can't use it right now. It needs great spiritual power."

"You mean spirit energy?" I question.

"That's right. One person alone won't do it." She answers, filling me with relief. "You'd need to be somewhere special.. Oh! Like the promised land!"

"But-" I begin.

"Sephiroth is different. He's not an ancient."

"Then he shouldn't be able to find the promised land." I say, stating rather than asking.

" _...Ah, But I have.." Sephiroth's voice echo's around us. "I'm far superior to the Ancients. I became a traveler of the Lifestream and gained the knowledge and wisdom of the ancients. I also gained the knowledge and wisdom of those after the extinction of the ancients.. And soon, I will create the future."_

"I won't let you! The future isn't just yours!" Aeris shouts, finally spotting the silver haired specter on the ledge opposite to Claire.

"Ha, ha, ha... I wonder?" Sephiroth laughs. _"Wake up!"_

I feel something switch inside my mind as he uttered the words.. Like I was just a spectator in my own body. My hands start to tremble as I fight to regain control. I hear wind.. No.. not wind.. The lick of flames.. It starts out soft but soon becomes deafening. Is this the extent of his power?.. How to I stop this?..

"Sh..Shut up!" I manage to shout. "The... Noise..."

"There, Cloud... Good boy..." I hear him talk to me softly as I watch my body slowly begin to walk to him. I scream out to myself to stop, but all I can do is watch as my hand holds out the black materia out to the man who took everything from me. He takes it with a twisted smile. "...Well done."

"Cloud, are you alright?!" I hear Aeris' voice as the Silver haired man vanishes from view.

"...I gave.. the black materia to Sephiroth?" I mutter, dropping to my knees. "What did I do?... Aeris.."

"Cloud... Be strong, okay?" She comforts me, but all I hear is whispers, taunting me.

My fingers grip her wrist without my command, and I'm left to watch as I shake her violently before my world turns black. I feel myself getting dragged away, but my unconscious mind has nothing to do but sleep. I see a serene forest, calm and full of life in front of me. Light cascaded through the leaf filled branches, lightning up the mossy ground as a faint breeze plows through the trees and through my hair.

" _Cloud, Can you hear me?" Aeris voice calls out as I spot her head poking out playfully from one of the trees._

" _Yeah, I can hear you.. Sorry for what happened..." I say with a shame filled tone._

" _Don't worry about it." She smiles warmly, making me feel even worse._

" _... I can't help it.."_

" _Oh..Then why don't you REALLY worry about it?.. And let me handle Sephiroth." She giggles. "And Cloud, take care of yourself. So you don't have a breakdown, okay?"_

" _Aeris.. What is this place?" I ask, convinced that I'd never been here before._

" _This forest leads to the city of the ancients. It's called the sleeping forest._ _It's only a matter of time before Sephiroth uses meteor. That's why I'm going to protect it. Only a Cetra like me can do it. The secret is just up here." She says, pointing into the depths of the forest. "Then, I'll be going now.. But I need you to remember something. It was never Claire's fault. The choice was never hers to make."_

 _I watch as she skips through the forest, and I attempt to give chase, but my body remains fixated on the spot._

" _Hmm... So she's going to interfere? She'll be a difficult one, don't you think? Sephiroth's voice rumbles through the trees, before dropping into view. "We must stop that girl soon.."_

 **Barret's POV (Gogonga village)**

"I just don't get what could possibly be going though that messed up blonde idiot's mind. We leave him alone for a few hours and now Aeris and Moody have vanished as well as an entire temple." I shake my head at Tifa, who is sat on a chair next to Cloud's bed, watching over him with worry in her crimson eyes.

"How come she don't watch over me when I sleep?" Cid asks, entering the room with two cups of tea. "I mean... He lost two people and an entire pyramid.. Who the fuck looses a thousand year old pyramid?" He adds, handing me and Tifa a mug of hot tea.

"Didn't ya listen to a word I said?!" The cat shouts from the other room. "The temple was the black materia! And now Sephiroth has it!"

"Then where the hell are the girls?" I ask.

"I dunno! By the time I got there, I saw Aeris speaking to Lightning and then they both went their separate ways."

"What where they talkin' about!?" Me and Cid shout together, annoyed at the Cat's inability to get to the point.

"The brunette lass said something like 'I don't blame you' to the angry pink haired one, hugged her and scarpered off into the treeline. The pink haired one looked confused but hung around for a little bit, looking down into the crater at Cloud before darting off too."

"They both left Cloud unconscious in the middle of a ditch? I find that hard to believe." I frown.

"You asked me what I saw and that's what I saw!" Cait sith defends himself before leaving the room.

"NO!" Cloud shouts, sitting up bolt up right in bed, scaring us half to death.

"Motherf- Ahh!" Cid curses as he spills hot tea down his shirt.

"Cloud, it's okay.. You're safe." Tifa says softly, rubbing his forearm.

"Sephiroth.. He has the black materia.. Aeris.. Where's Aeris?" Cloud asks.

"Gone.. And Lightning." I tell the man, studying his reaction.

"...I just... Gave it to him... The black materia.. Barret, I need to find them."

"Nanaki and Vincent are out looking." Tifa says.

"They won't find them.. Aeris is heading to the city of the ancients.."

"Why the hell has she gone by herself!?" We gotta go find her!" I shout, pumping my fist.

"Only the ancients, only Aeris can save us from meteor.." Cloud explains.

"Then let's go find her. If Sephiroth finds out where she's heading she'll be in trouble." Tifa stands up.

"...He already knows.."

"Then get yo' skinny blonde ass outta bed and let's go!" I order.

"No..." He replies, confusing us all. "I.. I might loose it again.. When Sephiroth is near.. I.."

"Thats why we're all coming with you. So I can go upside your spiky head when you do something stupid. It's all your fault Sephiroth has the black materia. The least you could do is get it back." I tell him, getting a frown from the brunette for my harsh words. "Ain't no gettin' offa this train we're on, till we get to the end of the line.. Cid, get the others ready and head for the plane." I say finally, leaving Tifa to be alone with the blonde.

"Aren't they coming?" Yuffie asks when she sees us leave the house without Cloud or Tifa.

"Give em time, squirt. He'll come." Cid tells her.

"He better.. The mess he's caused.." I mumble as I spot Vincent and Nanaki enter the village. "Anything?"

"Nothing.." Vincent's deep voice grumbles.

"If they're on this continent, they're not within twenty miles.." Nanaki adds.

"I can understand Light being able to get across the world.. She might be a bit of a psycho, but she's resourceful.. But how did Aeris get off the Island? Swim?" I ask.

"Not if she got lessons from Yuffie.." Cid mutters.

"HEY! I learned didn't I?!" The little ninja shouts.

"Only because we wouldn't let you on dry land until you could swim to our satisfaction." Cid laughs.

"You threw me in the sea!"

"...But did you die?" The pilot laughs.

"If you two are done arguing, we need to find Aeris." Cloud's voice shouts from behind us.

I'm relieved that I didn't have to go back inside and drag him with us, but I'm seriously questioning his ability to stop Sephiroth. There was no denying his talent in battle or his immense strength, but when Sephiroth is involved, he always falls short. He was still messed up, but I have seen improvement in him. The man Tifa dragged into her bar half dead had come a long way over the month, but I can't help worry that Lightning's disappearance will set him back. She was a pain in the ass, but I wanted to find her as much as I did Aeris.

Other than to give Cid direction, Cloud doesn't utter a word for the entire journey, despite Tifa's best attempts to strike up a conversation. I watch him stare into the horizon with glazed over eyes, broken and full of doubt. His gaze only wavers to glance at Yuffie, to make sure she was still aboard. After nearly a day on the sea, we finally pull up to the cold shores of the northern continent, all exhausted from the battering of the waves. We all stagger off Cid's terrible aircraft, hoping to never see it again, and take a minute on the shore.. At least all of us but Cloud. I sigh as he marches to Bone village, not waiting for the rest of us.

 **Cloud's POV**

I continue on, not able to find the words for the group that are still trying their best to support and believe in me, even if I don't myself. It only takes me a few minutes to get to the village from the shore, and I feel her presence getting closer with every step. I walk through the first half of the village and climb the ladder as the archeologists watch me with curiosity, which peaks as I head to the treeline.

"H-Hey! Wait! You can't just walk into the sleeping forest! You'll never make it out!" The nearest Villager shouts.

"Has a woman passed through this way?" I ask.

"Yes, she went inside after we told her not to. You need the Lunar harp if you ever want to reach the forgotten city." The man shouts. "It just so happens that we excavated it a few hours ago."

"Give it to me." I command.

"I'm sorry sir, It is a priceless artifact. It's not for sale."

"...Give it to me.." I ask again, forcing lightning to arc around my body from my equipped materia. "I won't ask again.."

I watch the villager shake in fear, but I did not have the time for pleasantries. I needed to get to Aeris, and anybody in my way would be cut down. The man retreats into a nearby tent, returning seconds later with a small, ornate crystal harp. He holds it out to me with a trembling hand, and I take it off him with an apologetic nod before heading into the forest. After a few hundred meters, it became apparent that I was in the same place I saw in my dreams. It was just as beautiful, but it's beauty could not negate the feeling in my heart that something bad was going to happen. The mossy ground did a good job of hiding the footsteps of my friends, but Cid's cursing alerted me to their presence. I don't turn to look at them, but instead look down on the harp. I hoped just being in possession was enough to make my way through, as I had no idea how to play it. Instead, my finger finds the center string and plucks a note from it.

A flurry of wind picks up a handful of fallen leaves and blows them all between two trees. I pluck the string again to make sure it wasn't just coincidence, but sure enough, the floating leaves point me in the same direction. I follow the leaves for about an hour; plucking the harp periodically to confirm I was on the right track as I walked on in silence. The only noise came from Yuffie, who squealed in excitement at the discovery of materia.

Eventually, the trees thin and my mako eyes fall upon an environment that I've never encountered before. It is what I imagine the floor of the sea looked like if you took all of the water away. White quartz stone made up the entirety of the ground, absorbing the sunlight in its crystalline structure, giving it a glow. Even the flora looked like nothing from the surface of the planet. It was hard, yet porous like coral and added colour to the pallet of white.

"..Hey.. I thought you might want this.." I hear Yuffie say as she catches up to me and holds out a red orb in her hand.

"Keep it." I tell her, having not interest in the materia.

"You think Lightning is with her? She'll be okay if Light is with her."

"I hope so..." I pray. I need her by my side now more than ever.

"Me too.. Pretty, isn't it? Doesn't look like it belongs to this planet.." She continues to try to start a conversation.

"It is." I agree, not wanting to upset the young girl, who is trying in vain to lighten my mood.

"Tifa's really worried.."

"I'll find Aeris.." I promise.

"I meant worried about you.. We all are.." She says softly, placing a hand on my back as we continue to walk. "Just remember.. We're all right behind you." Yuffie adds before turning to walk with the others.

"Yuffie." I mutter, catching her attention. "Thanks."

The once smooth quartz ground quickly becomes more difficult to navigate as it becomes staggered in height with many large boulders making a direct path impossible. My easiest route seems to be through a hollowed out tree trunk that acts like a bridge, spanning across two raised platforms. I cross it quickly, eager to see what's on the other side of the ridge, and I don't have to wait long for my answer. At the top of the ridge is the start of a perfectly smooth, polished quartz pathway, which snakes down a valley to a strange and wonderful city of shells and coral. I break into a sprint, knowing Aeris was somewhere inside. I can only hope Claire is inside too, looking after her.

"Hey! Wait up fool!" Barret shouts from behind, doing his best to keep up.

My pace slows dramatically and I allow them to catch up, as being alone with my own thoughts for any longer would drive me insane.

"I'm sorry, you guys.." I apologize

"Keep your apologies, lets just get Aeris and sour face back with us." Cid barks.

"This place sure is somethin'. You think Aeris is already here?" Barret asks.

"Yeah.. I feel it in my soul.."

"You're not going all mystical on us are ya?" Cid frowns.

"I can't explain it.. But I know she's here." I answer.

"Then why did ya stop runnin'?!"

"To wait for you." I reply.

"Bollocks to us! We'll catch up. Go get 'em!"

I can't help but grin at the pilot's way with words, but I do as he says and race off again towards the city. The group do their best to keep up, but I slowly begin to create a gap as I reach a fork in the path at the head of the main structure. Stopping for a moment, I close my eyes and I can almost hear Aeris' voice. Taking the central path, I sprint through a narrow corridor of coral that brings me out into a sheltered pool with a huge shell that looks like it has been turned into some form of home. The water is perfectly still and as clear as glass. I stand by the pond's edge and look down into it's dark depths. Despite how clear it was, I still couldn't see the bottom. My attention turns to the shell, as I quickly weigh up it's size and distance, telling myself that Aeris and Claire were less than a minute away.

The others have caught up to me by the time I take my first step inside the shell, and it's hard to hide my disappointment when my eyes don't fall on my two missing friends. The interior itself was impressive to say the least however. The entire shell was one big, spiraling ramp that gradually ascended to the tip of the shell. The curved floor was flattened out with tiny pieces of quartz gravel and the whole building was lit up by crystals that glowed like the lifestream. Making my way up the ramp, I spot a break in the handrail that runs along the inside edge of the shells corkscrew structure. At first I see nothing more than green coral in the center; presumably as decoration, but my eyes find a crystal staircase that was almost as invisible as glass.

I can't believe my eyes when I look over the handrail and follow the staircase as far as it goes. Underneath the base of the shell is a small city, suspended in pure darkness and encased in crystal. The sound of gasps tell me that the others see it too, but I don't wait for them to follow me as I take my first step onto the crystal staircase. There must have been a thousand steps that curve around gently as they descend towards the hidden city. It was hard to believe that all of this could be underneath the relatively tiny shell. Smooth crystal shards that tip the chalice that encompasses the city extend up to the staircase, absorbing and refracting light down to the city below that was built nothing like the one above.

With every step, I take in more of this beautiful world. Every structure was carved out of pale purple marble, giving it a cold feel, but there was something truly pure about the place. It was the polar opposite to Midgar; a smog filled, death machine that was killing the world in exchange for convenience. I continue to scan the Cetra capital as I make my way down the steps, and my eyes light up with relief when I see brunette hair contrasting against the marble, central altar. My legs break into a run, but my heart slumps when it becomes apparent that she was alone. _Claire... Where are you?.._

By now, I'm taking three steps at a time, and I quickly make it into the city. I descend stairs, weave in and out of pillars and leap over short walls, desperate to see Aeris and get some answers. It's only when I get down to the lower levels of the city to I realize that it's on pillars, suspending it over water that had a thick layer of mist, blanketing it's depths from view. Five pillars at staggered heights form a crossing to the altar and I leap from one to another as the others finally catch up to me. All that separated me from her was a few feet and a handful of steps, and I can't help but watch her with curious eyes. She always had an air of peace about her, but as she prayed on her knees, I felt a wave of calmness wash over me.

My boot makes the first step up the handful of stairs, only for my vision to flash red, and I feel Sephiroth in my head once more. I'm frozen to the spot, but I feel my hand reach for my sword as I cry out, pleading to whatever humanity he had left, to stop. _Whatever it is you want me to do. I won't do it.._

" _All I want you to do is watch... Cloud.."_

Although I'm riveted to the spot, I feel a great relief that he wasn't going to make me draw my weapon on my friend. My relief is short lived however, when I see a shadow form around the brunette. I look up to see a menacing silhouette falling towards her at great speed. My mouth is open and I'm roaring to Aeris to move, but sound does not leave my lips. Knowing what was coming, I try desperately to move and finally close by eyes, but I'm not even spared that. Oblivious to the world around her, the warm smile she wore quickly fell as cold steel burst through her chest. I watch as her emerald green eyes shoot open, before slowly succumbing to death. My rage builds as I try to fight off 'his' will, but I'm left to watch the blade be pulled out of Aeris torso, sending her limp body to the ground and revealing her killer.

"Claire?!.."

 **A/N: Dun, dun, deeeerrr! How many of you are now really annoyed with me? ...As some of you may have figured out, Lightning (having been experimented on the same as Cloud) has Jenova cells inside of her, meaning she can be controlled by Sephiroth. Now... This is where the story goes one of two ways... And I'm gonna let you decide.**

 **OPTION 1: Claire does a runner after realizing what she's done and ends up back in her own world (Or rather Valhalla). And Cloud goes to look for her. Which will essentially be Cloud in ff13-2's storyline. And wind back up finishing off the Sephiroth saga (Remembering time does not pass/exist in Valhalla) (Extra note.. I don't mean start a new story. All of this will still be in 'a stormy reunion')**

 **or...**

 **OPTION 2: Continue on with the ff7 storyline and hop to something different once it's finished.**

 **So.. The choice is yours. I've been typing away like a madman because I was determined to get it to this point before christmas. I'll check up on the reviews at new year, and if there's a clear winner (70%+) we'll go with that. If not, I'll decide. This is obviously a major decision, so even if you don't normally review and just read, please leave one for this chapter. Thankyou so much for taking the time to read and review my stories. I hope you all have a great Chrismas and New Year.**

 **Wolf**

 **P.S I also bought ff7 for the ps4 and I adore the theme. I often just turn the ps4 on to listen to it haha. I also got to utter the words. "I've just got my crossdressing trophy" ….A phrase that I didn't think would ever leave my lips lol**


	31. The Fallen Angel

**Claire's POV**

 _...It's time.. my puppet..._

I feel myself falling; gunblade in hand. Usually such a thing wakes a person, but my eyes remain closed. My weapon is pointing down menacingly, and I can tell by the extra pressure on my wrist that it's extended in it's sword mode as I feel a cool wind ripple through my hair. I start to panic, wondering to myself when I would hit the ground in my blindness, but my thoughts quickly diverted elsewhere when the tip of my sword meets a slight resistance. In my relatively short years, I've taken many lives, and I'm all too familiar with the feel of my sword piercing a body. My boots meet a hard surface with grace, and I retract my weapon when control of my body returns to me.

"Claire!?" I hear Cloud shout as my eyes burst open.

"...W-what have I done?..." I mutter in horror, as Aeris lifeless body hits the marble altar.

I beg myself to wake up from this nightmare, but it's all too real. I see her pink dress slowly turn crimson. I hear the sound of blood drip from the tip of my sword, onto the polished stone. But what hurts the most, is the devastated look on Cloud's face as; like me, he tries to process the scene. I feel sick as I look around, almost in a daze, which breaks as the metallic bang of my weapon falling from my loose grip, onto the floor.

"...No, no, no, no, no, no, no." I mumble to myself as my knees hit the blood soaked floor and I cradle Aeris head in my arm whilst frantically looking for my cure materia.

I find it quickly, and use it over and over again to no avail; each time more desperate than the last. Her long brunette hair dangles to the ground loosely, no longer contained by it's ribbon. Rare tears stream from my blue eyes as I try to accept what has just happened, but I still don't understand why. Placing her body back down and staggering to my feet, I stumble back into the rail that encompasses the raised platform in a vein attempt to distance myself from the tragic scene when a burst of gunfire breaks up the deafening silence. As I turn to find the source, two bullets hit me. One in the collar bone and the other in my arm. Barret had opened fire on me from the base of the city...

My instincts take over and I duck down, slipping on the ever growing pool of blood and banging my head. After wincing in pain, I open my eyes to find Aeris' lifeless emerald orbs staring at me, inches from my own. Part of me wanted a bullet to find my head, but fate was not done torturing me yet. Recovering my weapon and standing up yet again, I turn to Cloud, who takes his eyes of Aeris and looks at me. The longing and compassionate look I had come to enjoy was gone. Replaced with sadness and regret.

"...Cloud... I... It wasn't me... I didn't..." I begin, but I hear the others rushing up the staggered walkway.

I take a final look at the man I loved; my one chance of happiness, and throw myself over the railing and into the water. Muffled gunfire erupts above me, but I don't see any bullets piercing the transparent surface. With my gunblade in hand, I swim underwater for as long as my breath will allow, before finally resurfacing in the shadows of the city's many towering structures. Gunfire and blasts still continue to resonate off the crystals and echo through the city, but nothing comes my way. I see my route out, and I make a break for it, never once turning around. Terrified of seeing the heartache in those bright blue eyes.

 **Cloud's POV**

When Aeris' body drops, the last person in the world I expected to be clutching the murder weapon was Claire. I watch as her glazed over eyes flicker back to life as she looks down at her prey in horror. Still fixed to the spot, I look down at Aeris, who's body ejects it's own blood at an alarming rate. The pinkette drops her weapon before dropping to her knees and attempts to heal Aeris with no success as she mutters to herself.

" _Do you understand now, Cloud?... You are a puppet... Just like her.. I am a God to you.. And you will bend to my will.." Sephiroth's voice echos in my mind._

It's a strange thing to see a murder, but know that the person holding the weapon was not to blame. I know in my heart it was Sephiroth, but my brain can't stop my eyes from looking at the pinkette with a hate filled stare. Quickly realizing Aeris was gone, Claire stands and backs away as shots ring out. Snapping my head to the right, I see Barret angrily unleash a burst of bullets, before being stopped by Vincent. When my gaze returns to Claire, I see two bullet holes as Sephiroth's haunting laugh thunders through my mind. I regret ever allowing anyone to follow me on my journey, knowing now just how badly it would end.

"...Cloud... I... It wasn't me... I didn't..." She pleads with me, just before throwing herself into the water below.

The second she goes over the edge, I'm released from my invisible hold, and I rush over to the edge to find her long gone. I turn back to Aeris, only for my eyes to fall on a pair of black boots, stood on the opposite side of her body. My eyes follow the boots up, and sure enough, it's Sephiroth standing on the altar with me. I fight back rage filled tears and kneel down to pull Aeris away from him, despite knowing the damage had already been done.

"Do not worry. Soon the girl will become part of the planet's energy. All that's left is to go north. The promised land awaits me over the snowy fields.. There I will become-"

"...Shut up.." I say, trying to stop my hands from trembling in anger. "The cycle of nature and you're stupid plan don't mean a thing! Aeris is gone... She'll no longer talk... no longer laugh... cry, or get angry..." I add cradling her tightly to hide me tears.

"What are you saying? Are you trying to tell me that you have feelings now?" Sephiroth asks coldly.

"Of course! What do you think I am!?" I roar, placing Aeris behind me and standing up to confront the man.

"Ha, ha, ha.. Stop acting as if you're sad.. Because Cloud.. You are..." He says, ascending into the air in a blinding flash of light.

"Look out!" Vincent shouts from the staggered pillars, as he fires his pistol into the sky.

I look up into the air as I see Jenova plummet towards me. It lands on the steps of the altar, cracking them with the force of the impact as it quickly selects me as it's first target. The rest of the group jumps back onto the base of the city as I slash wildly at Sephiroth's monstrous mother, knocking her off the altar with hate filled swings. Barret and Vincent open fire on Jenova, giving me a second of respite to wipe my stinging eyes and continue with my relentless assault. The others try to join in the fight, but end up retreating back as I launch bolt after bolt of ear splitting lightning at the enemy that hit with such force it left scorch marks on the ground.

With Jenova now away from Aeris, I bury my sword into it's fleshy skirt, pinning it to the ground as my flaming fists pummel it's torso. It's tentacle shaped limb spits out petrol coloured bubbles, which burst on contact, burning my skin, but I fight through the pain. Even when it fires off it's beam of energy across my torso, I continue to barrage it with my materia, despite the beam cutting straight through my skin and searing my ribs. It quickly goes limp, but I'm still not content. I pull my sword from it's flesh and hack away at it in delirious rage until I can't lift the sword over my head anymore. After releasing my grip on the buster sword, I look up to find the horrified looks of my friends. I ignore them and pace silently back to the altar, catching my sinister, blood speckled reflection in the water as I do. Aeris lay there, but something catches my eye at the edge of the alter. Claire's knife. I pocket it quickly before turning back to the brunette.

" _Because you are a puppet..."_

I try my best not to look at Aeris' face as I scoop her up in my arms, and walk down to the others. My hand washes over her face, closing her emerald eyes from view. Yuffie is the first to burst into tears, closely followed by Tifa, who tries her best to stay composed. Even Barret has a tear in his eye. Cid and Vincent bow their heads as Nanaki howls somberly into the silence of the city. Walking past them all, I head for the crystal staircase, desperate for air, and to bring Aeris back into the forest.

"...Shouldn't we be looking for Lightning?" Barret whispers angrily to the others, thinking I couldn't hear.

"..It wasn't Light's fault.." I say, breaking my silence as the group follows me outside.

"I saw her stab... Stab Aeris.." He struggled to say the words.

"I know you did, Barret... But Sephiroth can control people with Jenova's cells.. That's why I gave him the black materia.. It's like you're watching your own body act against your will..." I try to explain.

"Not good enough.." The man huffs angrily.

"...Cloud.. Where are you going?.." Tifa asks sheepishly.

"To let Aeris be with the nature she loved.." I sniff.

The ascent felt like I was personally delivering this wingless angel to heaven, but we soon reached the inside of the shell. I walk outside to a spectacle of pure beauty. A star filled night sky shone down through the clearing, and onto the placid pool's surface, causing it to twinkle like it was covered in diamonds. The whole scene was beautiful apart from the metallic smell of blood, which poisoned the air so badly that I could taste it. My boots stop on the edge of the water and I look down into it's depths, quickly discovering a shallow ledge that ran about a third of the way into the center.

I don't question anything, I just walk into the frigid pool, ignoring the groups baffled looks. I stop at the edge of the ledge and remove one of my hands from under the ever resting brunette and grip her hands gently. She just looked asleep; resting with a faint smile on her face as always.. But this time there was no waking her.. Resting her body onto the water's surface, I release her hand and wash her icy face with the water, carefully removing the blood from her porcelain skin. _Perfect.._ I tell myself.

"I'm sorry... I failed you.. I was supposed to be you're bodyguard.. To protect you from Shinra.. Instead I allowed my own demons to take you.. I'm so sorry... Don't blame Claire.. Blame me... If I'd have stopped Sephiroth in the first place..." I sniff, kissing her forehead, before finally letting her slip though my fingers. "Your death won't be in vain... I promise you that.."

Watching the dark depths claim her body, I stand in the freezing water, shaking uncontrollably. Blood pours from my chest and down my leg, before finally being diluted by the pool. After a few minutes, I walk back to the edge, stumbling from blood loss as I get within a few feet. Tifa is already halfway in the water to help me, but I wave her off, not wanting to be touched. She looks a little hurt, but she seems to understand and lets me climb out myself. Finally, I get myself out of the water, and I glance around at the group, stopping at Vincent, who's looking into the treeline. He must feel my eyes watching him and he quickly diverts his gaze to the water.

"...I know you probably want to press on, Cloud.. But I think we need to rest for the night.. Besides.. you need that lookin' at.." Cid says, pointing to my chest.

"Cid's right.. We'll start first thing tomorrow." Nanaki adds, seeing my hesitance.

"...Fine.."

"You think Lightning will show her face?" The pilot asks.

"I hope not.." Yuffie says coldly.

"Yuffie.." Vincent shakes his head.

 **Claire's POV**

I escape the shell and stagger to the treeline. I hear gunfire continue in the city below as I climb one of the nearest trees, desperate for rest. Blood runs from the two exit wounds from Barret's bullets, straight down the white bark of the tree, but I'm in no rush to heal myself; seeing the pain as punishment for what I'd done. I don't deserve it.. The gunfire stops quickly, and I decide to wait to see if they resurface, weighing up if I should surrender to them or run. Where could I even run to? Was death the only true escape from the pain? I felt dirty.. violated at the thought of my body being used as a puppet. Sephiroth.. He truly was a God..

The solemn sound of footsteps draws my fading attention to the large shell, just in time to see Cloud carrying out Aeris in his arms. I carefully adjust myself in the tree to just it's large trunk to conceal me, but I can't help but peep out with a single eye. The blonde stops at the water's edge for a moment before finally stepping into the liquid. He wades in almost half way, stopping as the water reaches his waist. A tear falls from my watching eye as he holds her hand for a moment, then washes her face with the water. I'd have given anything to not have enhanced hearing, when Cloud's whispers reach my ears.

"I'm sorry... I failed you.. I was supposed to be you're bodyguard.. To protect you from Shinra.. Instead I allowed my own demons to take you.. I'm so sorry... Don't blame Claire.. Blame me... If I'd have stopped Sephiroth in the first place..." He whispers with a trembling voice. "Your death won't be in vain... I promise you that.." _He doesn't blame me?_

The rest of the group just watches with tear filled eyes. For once I'd have given anything to hear one of Cid's vile jokes, even if it only distracted me from what I'd taken from them for a moment. Cloud eventually turns, and for the first time I see his body under the light of the moon. A giant slice cuts across his torso and is pouring with blood and his skin looks burned. He stumbles as he gets lose to the edge and for a moment I forget myself and move to help him. I quickly realize what I'd done, and I thought my movement went unnoticed, but Vincent's blood red eyes are looking right at me. Frozen in fear, I maintain eye contact with the man until he looks away and back down to Cloud, who has finally climbed out of the pool. Why hasn't he thrown me to the wolves?

"...I know you probably want to press on, Cloud.. But I think we need to rest for the night.. Besides.. you need that lookin' at.." Cid says, pointing to his bleeding chest.

"Cid's right.. We'll start first thing tomorrow." Nanaki adds, his voice soft and caring.

"...Fine.." Is all Cloud manages.

"You think Lightning will show her face?" The pilot asks.

"I hope not.." Yuffie says coldly, but I don't blame her.

"Yuffie.." Vincent shakes his head.

Everyone but Vincent walks down the path, leading to the front of the city and it's Tifa who notices he's not following.

"Vincent? Whats wrong?" She asks with concern.

"I'd like to pay my respects privately..." He says in his usual cold tone. "I'll catch up.. Go and make sure Cloud gets healed."

He walks back to the waters edge, turning back to make sure Tifa had long gone before finally speaking.

"You can come out now.."

I hesitate for a moment, but eventually start to climb down, missing my footing after a few seconds and falling to the earth with a thud. He heard me fall but remains fixated on the water.. I don't blame his reaction. Quite frankly I'm just happy that he's not shot me yet. I stagger towards him, finally stopping by his side at the waters edge.

"Are you okay?" He asks.

"I'm the furthest thing away from okay.." I cough, spitting blood from my mouth.

I feel a warm aura wash over me, closing my wounds and fighting away the impending infections, allowing me to stand unaided. I look down on the water with Vincent, still hoping that I'd wake from this nightmare.

"Why haven't you killed me?" I ask, getting straight to the point.

"Why kill the victim?"

"The victim is resting at the bottom of this pond... I'm no victim.." I sigh.

"Even now you refuse to show weakness? Cloud says that you're innocent.. And I believe him.." The crimson cloaked man says calmly.

"What happened to Cloud? The others didn't do that to him, did they?" I change the subject.

"No... That was Jenova.. Sephiroth and then Jenova appeared shortly after you had fled.."

"You all fought them off?" I question, feeling guilty for not staying.

"Cloud did.. He fought like a man possessed by a demon.."

"Something you'd know about." I say coldly.

"Indeed.." Vincent hums. "What do you plan to do now?"

"I need to leave.. I don't know how, but Sephiroth can control me. Sometimes I hear his voice..." I shiver. "I need to find a way home. To get as far away as possible so I don't do any more harm.."

"And how do you plan on achieving this?" He asks with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm going to go back to Midgar, free Marlene and..." I pause, suddenly realizing who Barret's adopted daughter was with. "Aeris' mother... I need to apologize to her.. Then I'm going to find Hojo and make him send me back."

"Barret's daughter has been kidnapped?"

"Yeah. The cat is a Shinra spy." I reply.

"I had my suspicions..." He says.

"This is goodbye, Vincent.. If you decide to tell Cloud that you saw me, tell him that I love him.. And that I'm sorry.." I say, turning from the pool and managing a few steps before I hear his gun being drawn.

"...If you see Hojo.. give him this from me.." He says, cycling the slide on his pistol and ejecting a bullet to hand to me.

"I'll make sure that you'll the last thing he ever thinks of.." I nod, pocketing the lone bullet.

Vincent takes one last look at the water, nodding in respect before rushing off after the others, leaving me and Aeris alone for the first time. I look back into the glittering canvas that was the water, taking in my bloodstained reflection. My Guardian Corps uniform I once wore with such pride was no longer the pure white I had methodically kept it as, but crimson. Covered in the blood of a friend.. One that died by my sword; as well as my own blood, extracted from me by another friend I had betrayed. I was disgusted with what I saw in my reflection, but I'm going to make things right...

"Aeris, watch over Cloud.. He needs you now more than ever.." I whisper.

 _I didn't blame you.. Not once.. I knew my fate from the beginning.. It was my choice to make.._

"But I didn't get the choice. I never wanted this.. I need to go.. I won't be used as a puppet.. I'm so sorry!" I cry as I turn and run into the night.

I race through the city like my nickname, quickly getting to the sleeping forest. I don't remember exactly how I got from the temple to here, but I remember faint spots of vision whilst under Sephiroth's control. Running through the forest, it quickly becomes apparent that I've retained the knowledge; at least subconsciously of how to navigate the forest. As I break through the treeline on the other side, I only see two villagers still up in bone village, but they quickly hide upon the sight of me. Id thought about washing the blood off of me, but I want to show Shinra just what type of demon's they produce when they experiment on people.

Making my way to the shore, I see the Tiny Bronco resting in the sand. I can help but smile, picturing the pilot's face when he discovers that it's gone. I did feel bad for taking it, and even worse for not chasing after Sephiroth with them, but I won't risk hurting anymore of my friends. Heaving the vessel back into the water, I jump onto the wing tip and take my seat in the cockpit. By now, the salty water is making short work of the downed aircraft, but it should get me to Midgar. I fiddle with the controls, remembering how Cid used to start it, and point the plane south east. It should only take me a few hours to get there..

 **Cloud's POV**

I must have collapsed on my way to shelter, because when I finally come around, I'm laying on a smooth wooden floor. Still dazed, I feel the warmth of my blood drip slowly from my chest as gentle hands remove my belt and shirt. The room is noisy and filled with tension. Tifa barks orders to the others as she rummages around in my pocket. All I can think about is Claire and how she must be feeling. The others don't understand what truly happened, but when I wake, it will be the first thing I do... _Just five more minutes..._

" _Yuffie, sow his shirt back together please." Tifa's voice asks._

" _But I don't know how." She huffs._

" _Your a woman! How the hell you not know how to sew? You'll be tellin' us you can't cook next!" Cid barks._

" _I can't cook!" Yuffie snaps back._

" _Then I suggest you start collecting cats, 'cuz no man's gonna marry your useless ass."_

" _Enough!" Nanaki roars. "This is not the time for arguing... Tifa, sew his clothes. Yuffie, get Barret's heal materia and heal any of the damaged skin Tifa has missed. The rest of you get out of their way unless you can be constructive.. I shall fetch us dinner.."_

My eyes flutter open to see a pair of brown eyes looking down at me. I focus on them as I come around, noticing for the first time a splash of purple around the edges of her Iris'. It looked like she'd only just stopped crying.

"Yuffie?" I say wearily

"It's okay.. Just rest.." She smiles.

"Cold.." I mutter as I try to suppress a shiver.

She looks around for a moment, then briefly vanishes from my eyesight. The young girl returns with a blanket and throws it over me with a smile. She takes my hand with her own and heals the blistered skin with the materia in her other. Even when she's finished, her grip doesn't subside, but I don't mind. I fight my shutting eyes, but eventually loose after a minute long battle.

When I finally wake again, I sit bolt upright and look around. Tifa spots me from across the room of a shell house, and paces over to me with my shirt and Soldier crested belt. I look down to find my hand still holding Yuffie's, who had fallen asleep next to me. I prize my hand from her grip and throw the blanket on top of her as I stand. The brunette hands me my clothes, to which I put on quickly before looking around the room.

"Where is everyone?" I ask.

"Outside, cooking. Nanaki went out hunting." She says softly. "He found Vincent on his way back too."

"And Claire?" I ask, seeing her face drop.

"Gone.. But-"

"Tifa, do you trust me?" I question, cutting her off mid sentence.

"Of course.." She answers.

"It wasn't Claire's fault.. She was being controlled by Sephiroth.. Just like when I gave him the black materia.. His powers.. They're beyond belief." I say, pulling her survival knife from my pocket and gazing in at it longingly

".. I understand.." Was all she said, but I get how she would find it hard to believe.

 **Claire's POV**

There it was.. Midgar.. I felt a moment of deja vu wash over me as I look onto the towering city. I remember looking up on Coccon 'the viper's nest' from the grassy plains of Pulse, ready to bring the fight to the sanctum. Back then I had my friends with me, but this time I'd have to do it alone. It takes me a few hours to walk around the suspended 'pizza' city, but eventually I find what I'm looking for. The fallen sector seven plate would be my way into the central headquarters. Acting as I gigantic ramp, it would make my journey a quick one, but the thought of just how many thousand lives where lost at the push of a button was frightening. Nobody should ever have that much power.

I start my climb on the widest part of the plate and keep focused at it's narrowest end that still hung on by a thread to the central support. The climb was steep but with every step I took, I saw the body of another poor soul. Some dangled from their properties, some still inside their mangled cars.. It was a gruesome sight to behold. Broken pipes spewed out steam and the steel wheels of a derailed train still spin slowly, with what little life that remains in it's engines.

It takes me a little over an hour to make my way though the sector of death, and my eyes quickly find a service hatch for the train tracks in the main wall that separated the sectors from the main tower. I kick the door open and walk inside the shaft that was lit by an emergency lighting system. I follow it down as far as it would go, finally hitting another steel emergency door after a few minutes. I don't believe my eyes when I open the door. A train station.. Looking around, I quickly discover a sign reading 'Sector 6 Station' and it fills me with anger that the rest of Midgar just go on like nothing has happened. Only a maintenance tunnel separates what may as well be heaven and hell.

Being the dead of night, I don't meet any resistance as I walk though the deserted station, following the signs for the central building. It was only a short walk from the station, but I'd found it. Lit up in all of it's glory. _Hojo.. I'm coming for you.._

"Freeze!" I hear a guard say as I pace towards the glass doors.

I continue to walk towards the doors and quickly dispatch the guard with my gunblade. The bullet bursts through the man's body and shatters the glass doors behind him, paving the way for my grand entrance. The broken glass crunches under my boots as I take my first steps inside the monstrous building. I hear whimpering coming from behind the reception desk and the barrel of my gunblade quickly finds it's way over the counter.

"Where's Hojo?!" I roar at the woman.

"F-Floor 68! Please don't kill me!" She pleads.

"..Get out of here..."

The receptionist rushes outside with her hands held high over her head as gunfire rains down from the stairways above. Now becoming quite proficient with my materia, I shield myself with 'big guard' without even removing the materia from my pocket. Bullets bounce off the ethereal wall in front of me as I open fire myself, only needing a single shot for each of the nine soldiers that made their way down the stairs towards me.

By now, sirens echoed through the building and I know that the lifts could be shut down with the flick of a switch so I take the stairs all the way up to the 67th floor. I scout around, quickly feeling sick as I recognize where I am. _This is where I was kept..._ I find a corridor that leads to a bunch of cells and I race down there, hoping to find Marlene.

"Place your weapon on the floor and no harm will come to you." A man's voice echos with authority behind me.

I smile to myself before turning around and unleashing a single bullet at my target. My eyes widen at first when I see his uniform, and I'm almost relieved to see him block my bullet with his sword. The uniform was just like Cloud's but had a purple shade to it and I could see glowing eyes from behind a metallic helmet.

"I'm here for Hojo.. If you want to live, walk away.." I offer the man.

"A Soldier never flees!" He shouts, leaping towards me with his sword held high.

I sidestep the attack as I change my gunblade to it's sword mode, ready to to battle with the man. He slashes at me again, but I block his blade with my own as I kick him in the side of the leg. The man buckles with the lack of balance but quickly counters with a blast of fire. I duck just in time, but it gives the Soldier enough time to recover and go on the offensive again. I parry his relentless attacks before finally rolling under his blade and slashing across his back. The man falls lifelessly, but I feel no pity. He chose to fight..

Making my way down the corridor of cells, I look through the peep hole on each door until I eventually find the right one. For the first time, I feel it may have been a mistake to have left all of this blood on me. I can only imagine what the poor child will do when she see's me. My attention turns to the woman who sat on the floor with her, entertaining the child as best as she could. With the flick of my wrist, I turn my gunblade back it it's gun mode, but I don't put it away. Instead, I stare at it for a moment before unlocking the door. The two prisoners jump to their feet at the sound of the door opening, and Marlene hides behind the woman at the sight of me.

"...Marlene.." I say softly, kneeling down. "My name is Claire.. I'm your dad's friend." I feel his bullets burst into me when I say the words but I know I'm doing the right thing now.

"You know daddy?" She asks, peeking from behind the woman's legs.

"I do.. I'm here to get you both out of here.."

"Yay!" She cheers.

My head drops in shame for a moment, then I spin the gunblade around in my grip, offering up the weapon to the woman. She takes it with a confused look as I remain on my knee's.

"Shoot me." I say, causing Aeris' adopted mother to gasp. "I killed your daughter.. Kill me.. I've cleared a path to safety... I'm truly sorry.." I say finally, shutting my eyes, ready to welcome death like a long lost friend.

My eyes remain shut as I hear a metallic sound on the floor and feel arms wrap around me tightly.

"You poor soul.." The woman whispers softly as she hugs me. "Aeris said you'd do this.."

"I-I don't understand.." I sniff.

"I heard her voice.. She told me what was happening... What was going to happen.." She says, releasing me from her embrace before placing her warm hands on my face, wiping the tears away with her thumbs. "You're just like her.. such a warm heart." She smiles.

"You've spoken to her?" I blubber.

"Yes.. When she.. left.. She visited me in my dreams.. Aeris explained it all.. That's why I know it's going to be alright.. Now... Dry your eyes and get out of this building." She smiles.

"Not yet.." I say, picking up my weapon from the floor. "There's still something I have to do.."

"I understand. Please be careful." She smiles. "Come Marlene.. I'll take you to a place called Kalm.."

I watch with tear filled eyes as they rush out of the cell and out of sight. Composing myself as I make sense of the situation, I pull out the bullet Vincent gave me and load it into the chamber of my gunblade.

"Hojo... This is the end for you.."

 **A/N: I was gonna wait till after the new year to continue writing, but with so many reviews I thought I'd make a start now. I'm genuinely surprised that everyone wanted the same thing. Usually every time I ask a question it's split down the middle. The xiii-2 story line is a double edged sword in terms of writing. Its not linear at all so it's easier to make the story fit your needs but because you can do the story in nearly any order, more thought has to into it.. But I shall persevere lol Hope you all had a great Christmas.**

 **Wolf**


	32. Worlds Apart

**Cloud's POV**

"Everyone, listen to me." I say after we finish the eating the dinner Nanaki had caught. "I'm Cloud, ex-Soldier, born in Nibelheim. I came to settle the score with Sephiroth.."

"Hmm?" Barret hums, raising an eyebrow.

"I came here of my own free will.. Or so I thought.. But to tell you the truth, I'm afraid of myself." I say, turning around to look at the exit. "...There's a part of me that I don't understand.. That part of my gave the black materia to Sephiroth. There's a person inside of me who isn't me at all.. That's why I should quit this journey..Before I do something terrible."

The group look baffled. All gawping at me with open mouths.

"But I can't quit.. He destroyed my hometown, he wants to destroy the planet.. and he.. He killed Aeris.. I'll never forgive Sephiroth.."

"I'm pretty sure Ligh-" Barret begins but is quickly shot down by Tifa who shakes her head at him.

"That's why I have a favor to ask you.. Will you all come with me? To save me from doing something terrible.." I ask, looking around hopefully.

There's a long and silent pause, so I take a step towards the door, only to feel a hand on my shoulder. Turning around I see Tifa smiling at me. Vincent doesn't move but gives me a nod as does Nanaki and Yuffie gives me a thumbs up. I ignore the new Cait Sith who is mumbling to himself in the corner of the room, and turn to the other two.

"Ah, what the hell... One stupid thing and you're getting a crack round the head though." Cid says.

"Deal." I nod. "...Barret, I promise you that she never killed Aeris.. Aeris meant the world to me.. If I thought for a second.."

"Alright.. I won't shoot her in the face, but that's as good as you gettin'."

"Fair enough.." I nod. "I don't know how Aeris tried to save the planet from the Meteor. And I guess now, we'll never know.. But we still have a chance. We have to get the black materia off Sephiroth before he uses it."

"Alright, let's biggity bounce!" Barret cheers.

(Please insert disc 2 ;p)

We leave the comfort of the shell house and I think about what Sephiroth said to me about the snowy fields. I lead us down a path that runs around the back of the city, towards the harsh, near vertical cliff face that has protected and hidden the city for so long. At the end of the path stands a large shell that has disintegrated over time but retains its spiny skeleton, which looks like it could get me to a path through the mountain. I point to the small cave entrance, signaling to the others my intended route, so Yuffie runs up the skeletonized shell and into the hole with her impressive agility.

"Looks like we can get through this way!" She shouts down to the rest of us.

I give her an appreciative thumbs up and follow her path with the others, until we entered the heart of the cave. The small tunnel quickly opened up into a large crack that widened as it climbed, revealing a cold blue sky above. Water trickles down the remains of a ladder on the other side of the void, and I quickly head there, knowing Sephiroth already had a huge lead. Like most of the Ancient capital, the ladder was in excellent condition for its age, and I climb it's monstrous length with confidence. After helping the others up, one by one, I hug the wall, trying my best not to look down over the edge, and walk across the ledge to what I hope is the final cave.

The cavernous tunnel is pitch black, but it gives me a moment to pull out Claire's survival knife in private. I can't see it well in the darkness, but simply holding it is a comfort. If I could have a single wish, it would be to see her again.. The only thing stopping me searching high and low for her is Sephiroth. If I don't finish this, then finding her will doom us all. An icy wind blasts down the tunnel, biting in my skin and pulling me from my thoughts of Claire. I quickly pocket the knife and head towards the faint light.

"Aw hell no!" Barret huffs when he spots what I do. Miles upon miles of snowy planes.

"Yo, Vince! Wanna sell me your cloak?" Cid laughs.

"It's soo cold.." Yuffie shivers.

"Yuffie, the map." I say, holding out my hand.

She hands it to me and uses my body as a shield from the wind as I survey it quickly. The nearest town is around a day's walk west, but we're not exactly equipped for the cold weather.

"Let's go.." I command, earning a group wide sigh.

 **Claire's POV**

Now on my own, I've nothing left to do but finish what I had set off to do at the beginning of my journey. I was denied the chance to make Hojo pay at Costa Del Sol, but nobody is around to stop me this time. Walking through the crates of chemicals and other supplies the man uses for his experiments, I see Jenova's destroyed tank; now taped up. My fist clenches as hatred erupts inside me. All of this planet's misfortune was that creature's doing.. That and the immoral scientists who like to play god.

"Well, Hojo.. Let's see what your creation is capable of.." I mutter to myself as I walk to the cargo lift at the end of the room.

Stepping inside, I slide the shutter closed and hit the button with the base of my fist. The lift shudders into life and begins it's slow ascent up to the next level as my hand starts to tremble. I never thought for a moment I would be this nervous; this conflicted about returning home. On the one hand, I would get to see my sister. The only family I have left.. But to do that, I must give up my own happiness.. Who was I kidding? My chance of happiness died with Aeris...

The lift comes to an abrupt stop, jarring me back to reality. I slide the shutter open slowly and begin to sweep the darkened room, checking every corner with my gunblade held out in front of me. Gasping quietly as the bright lights snap on, I search for any sign of life, but find none. It doesn't surprise me that nobody is here, considering how late at night it is, but my weapon remains unholstered, ready to fire. My eyes are drawn to a desk in the corner of the room, cluttered with files and other documents. That's when I see it.. information about me.

 _Specimen L:_

 _So far her test results have been surprising to say the least. It was clear that being a living thing, she would have some form of life force inside of her. After scanning for trace amounts of Mako in her blood, I found nothing, which I half expected. What was truly fascinating was her life force has the same markers of the tainted lifestream Dr Valentine discovered many years ago. The same substance I implanted into his son. The Turk, Vincent Valentine. It seems that the Chaos gene is one thing that links our two parts of the universe. Further tests will take place after she recovers from her... Interrogation..._

 _Project Paradox:_

 _It was my initial intention to just use project L to create another Sephiroth clone. I was curious to see the effects Jenova's cells would have on a human not born from this world, and she did not disappoint. Her initial persistence was irritating to say the least but I've learned much about her world. These 'Fal'cie' beings sound like an interesting concept, but I have bigger plans. It has my belief for some time that each galaxy in the universe runs off it's own separate time and has it's own precise variables. Taking Specimen L from her world will have caused an imbalance in her planets lifeforce, in turn creating an imbalance in time.. You see all energy is accounted for in her world. Removing Lightning from the equation is different to killing her, because the life energy isn't recycled. When I send her back, it won't recognize her as part of her world anymore because of the mako and Jenova's cells. However.. Even with the microscopic possibility that my theory is incorrect, I would have simply unleashed S cells into her world, allowing Sephiroth to consume the universe from both sides. My son will rule all. That will be my genetic legacy._

"Son?..." I mutter.

A shiver runs down my spine as I read the documents over and over again. Hojo was Sephiroth's father.. A frightening thought to say the least.. All I can think about though now is what do I do. If I go home, I potentially destroy it as time tries to deal with the plague I have brought back with me.. No. I won't doom an entire world because of something I had no control of... I need to tell Cloud about Hojo's plans. If it costs me my life, then so be it..

"Ah, Specimen L! Good of you to join me! I must say, you took your time!"

I snap my gunblade up and scan the room, finding Hojo stood behind a tinted glass screen on a second level that ran along one wall of the room. His hand disappears somewhere below the glass and the doors to the floor slam shut. I hear the electronic locks snap into place with a metallic click.

"I made sure the building was quite empty.. It would have been a shame for you to have died before you got up here.." Hojo says casually from behind the glass through a loud speaker.

"Hojo, you monster!" I roar. "Don't pretend that you knew I was coming!"

"Ah, but I did... I've known your exact location since Cloud Strife freed you from the tank on the floor below. There is a tracking device imbedded into your left arm. Between that and Reeve's silly toy cat, I've been able to study your progress quite accurately. Do you remember what I told you on the beach?"

"...You asked me if I felt someone calling me.. Or I had to visit some place.." I answer, eying him cautiously.

"Yes, well.. As Mr Strife had rudely stolen you from me, I decided to see how it would play out for a while. And for quite some time, I thought my reunion theory was correct.. But I'm ashamed to say it wasn't.. You were never drawn to Sephiroth. You where drawn to Cloud.. Now my peers suggest that your love for him has caused a bond greater than the pull of Jenova, but that is why they are second rate compared to me.. Cloud on the other hand.. He's of a weaker mind.. He's being driven by a past that is not entirely his."

"Elaborate.." I growl.

"Don't you remember? You caused me quite some trouble from day one.. That shot you fired cracked the glass of one of the two tanks in the bottom of Nibelheim mansion. Soon after, Zack Fair broke out of his tank and escaped with Cloud, who was essentially brain dead from the mako tank.. Yes.. Zack Fair.. That man had such potential... It was a shame he died. Cloud's best friend and he has no idea! Hahahaha!" Hojo cackles.

"You're sick! Do you know how many lives you've ruined!" I roar. "Aeris is dead because of your experiments!"

"Was it Jenova, or did Sephiroth make Cloud do it?" He asks with great interest.

"He made me do it! You see this blood!? That's hers you bastard!" I scream, holding back the tears as I grip my uniform with shaking hands.

"Oh, how unfortunate.. Well consider me sending you back to your own world a mercy." He smiles. "Besides, you don't want to be around when Sephiroth is woken."

"Woken? I've seen him!" I shout.

"Hahaha, silly girl.. What you saw was Jenova. The ability to shapeshift is one of her many gifts. The real Sephiroth is controlling it's body from the lifestream. Waiting patiently for the black materia."

"Thanks for the information.. After I've killed you, the others will be grateful for it." I say, pointing my weapon at Hojo, through the glass. _I hope it isn't bullet proof..._

"The only place you're going is back to your own world. I suggest you look up.." Hojo grins.

Every part of me is telling me it's a trick, but I look to the ceiling anyway. Mounted directly above me was some form of gyroscope, which starts spinning, slowly picking up speed. I feel the static in the air as I turn back to Hojo, who has sealed himself inside his glass encased control center. I take off towards the exit, thinking only of my escape, but I feel myself being pulled back by an invisible force that's only increasing in strength. Even leaning forward and pushing my boots into the floor, I'm slowly dragged back to the center of the room. Accepting there was no escaping from this, I relax my muscles and turn all my concentration on aiming at Hojo.

"Hojo! Vincent say's hi!" I shout, releasing a lone bullet from my gunblade; which to my pleasure, zips through the glass and into the scientists chest, causing him to stagger back.

 _Forgive me...Cloud... I love you..._

 **Cloud's POV**

"Hey, Tifa. Would you say it's a bit 'nippy'? Cid asks as he shivers.

"I think we're a long way past- CID!" Tifa shouts in embarrassment as the penny drops and her hands quickly cover her breasts.

Everyone shakes their head at Cid's crudeness, but it's a welcome distraction from the freezing temperatures. Barret hadn't stopped moaning since we stepped foot on the snow, and Yuffie's cat like agility didn't extend to the white powder in which she spend half the time falling head first into.

"...Here.." Vincent's gravely voice whispers from behind, as he offers his tattered cape up to the two girls, who walked side by side. "..I do not feel the cold.." He adds, making them feel much less hesitant at taking it.

"Thanks." The two say gratefully in unison as they wrap it around them.

"Yo, spikey! Over there!" Barret shouts excitedly, pointing at the ridge of the mountain to our right.

I follow the ridge down, quickly finding the corner of the roof, which smoked from a large stone chimney. We must be over a mile away, but I can already feel the warmth of the fire. Still at the front of the pack, I take Claire's knife from my pocket and stare at it longingly. I almost wished that Tifa hadn't washed and repaired my clothes last night, because the trace of her scent was now gone for good. Holding the knife to my chest, I promise myself that I would be reunited with her again one day, but as I do, I feel a pain in my chest and drop on one knee.

"Cloud, are you okay?" Yuffie asks from behind me.

"..Yeah, just slipped." I lie, recovering quickly. "We're almost there." _I don't know what just happened but I feel like_ _a_ _part of me had just died.._

We manage to get to the snow covered resort town in just over fifteen minutes, and we all head to the inn with great haste. The warmth of the log fire was heavenly on my cold skin, and we're all drawn to it like moths to a flame. It takes a while, but with the help of several mugs of hot chocolate, I'm finally warm again. I linger for another hour, under Tifa's order, but after giving the group some money for food and drinks, I head outside to clear my head. Despite the temperature, this little village was a beautiful place, covered in the purest of snow. There was no mako power here, everything was coal or wood from the surrounding trees. _Aeris would have loved it here.._

Walking away from the small village, I near a small fence, which narrowed to a path between the trees. Curious to see what was on the other side, I head over there, only to hear the panicked voice of a local shout at me.

"Woah! Be careful there! It's dangerous to do down there without a snowboard or snow mobiles!" The man shouts as he hobbles towards me.

I pay him little attention when I see something I could do without. On the horizon, Elena and two Shinra infantrymen rush down the snowy hill towards me with their weapon's drawn.

"There he is!" She pants as I wait patiently for her arrival. "Cloud, I won't let you go any further!"

"What's down there?" I ask, not at all intimidated by the Turk.

"It's a secret, but it really doesn't matter. You really got guts messin' up my boss like that!"

"Tseng? Sephiroth did it.." I reply.

"Liar! Don't think you can fool me!" She barks. "You're going to have to feel some pain! Just like what you're girlfriend will when she's caught."

"You know where Lightning is?" I ask.

"You mean you don't know? She broke into Shinra HQ and extracted Elmyra Gainsborough and Marlene Wallace."

"How did she get there so fast?" I question myself, with a mixture of amazement and worry.

"We found Cid's aircraft on the northern coast. It's now been crushed.. Anyway, stop trying to distract me and get ready to die!"

"..Not interested." I reply, watching her fist clench in the corner of my eye.

As if on cue, the predictable Turk swings for me, which I sidestep easily, causing her to stumble forward near the edge of the mountain. I was a little disappointed that she didn't go right over, so I place my boot on her behind and give her a small shove. Elena flies forward and falls over as she goes over the edge. The two guards rush after her as I watch the three of them roll down the side of a seemingly never ending mountain. With the Turk gone, my mind turns to a place my heart is fixated on. Claire.. I want to rush over to her now and protect her from the evils that this world is slowly being consumed by, but I know I can't turn around now. The only question I have left is, do I tell Cid about his plane or not?

I return to the inn, only to find a fight has broken out amongst the group. Cid and Tifa are struggling to hold back Barret, who looks like he's ready to tear the stuffed toy apart. The rest of the holiday makers are all looking at the scene unfolding, as Barret's sheer strength is overpowering the pilot and the barmaid, allowing him to make slow but steady steps towards the cowering cat.

"I'mma kill him!" He roars as Yuffie clings onto his ankle, only to be taken for a ride across the floor.

"I've only been gone for fifteen minutes! What the hell are you doing?!" I question.

"I just heard the cat talkin' to himself about Marlene escapin'! Escapin' from what, cat?!" Barret demands.

"Barret, stop.. Marlene is safe now.." I say, bracing myself for the moment my words register.

"An how the hell do you know?! You psychic now?!" He asks.

"The Shinra imprisoned Marlene and Elmyra Gainsborough and used them as leverage for the keystone... They where rescued some time today. The cat's a spy." I reply.

"An you let it stay!?"

"I wasn't given a choice.. I went along with Cait Sith to keep them safe.." I answer truthfully.

"... Wait a goddamn minute! Who the hell rescued them?" Cid butts in when Barret relaxes enough for the pilot to concentrate on something other than holding his friend back.

"Claire did! She risked her life and fought her way through the Shinra building to save them." I shout, finally loosing my temper. "I'm going to bed, I'm leaving at sunrise." I say bluntly as I walk to the room.

"How did she get of the island?" I hear Cid ask himself just before I climb the stairs. "My fucking plane!"

 **(The following day...)**

The daylight creeps over the window frame and onto my face earlier than expected, but I wake quickly, eager to make a start. Looking around, I'm surprised to see that the other bed's are empty already. I climb out of bed, stretching at the sight of the snowy view from the window, then begin to get changed. My hand dives under the pillow and I retrieve Claire's knife, which is still warm from sleeping with it tight in my grip, and I pocket it before heading downstairs. As my boots reach the last step, I hear Cid's loud whine from across the building as he school's Barret on how to make tea.

"What sort of sick bastard puts the milk in first!" The pilot whines, throwing the contents of Barret's cup onto the log fire, dulling it briefly.

"Then do please explain how to make a 'proper' cup of tea!" Barret hisses back.

"Tea bag in first... now pour the water on top- shut up man, I'll tell you when to stop..." Cid barks. "Well look who's joined us."

"Good morning Cloud." I hear Tifa say from behind me as she places her hand on my shoulder. "You sleep well?"

"Yeah." I lie. The truth was, sleeping was a struggle knowing Claire was out there on her own. "I'm gonna head out and find a way through. I won't be long."

"Okay. Be careful." She smiles as I leave.

The frosty morning bites at my skin as I step into the open, quickly waking me more than any coffee could. I walk through the frosty village that was just springing to life. Shops were opening and the sound of Snow mobiles and children playing in the snow began to fill the air. To the north I see a monstrous, ice covered mountain that had a huge crater at the top of it's lofty plateau. Even from here, I feel the pull of Sephiroth, drawing me closer to him. At least now I'm not blinded by the belief that It's my own choice.

"But I spent all of my allowance on it!" The voice of a young boy pleads, holding a snowboard tightly in his arms as his mother refuses to let him play. "It took me ages to save up a hundred Gill!"

"The last time you were on it, you really hurt yourself young man!" The worried mother argues.

"..Excuse me." I interrupt while diving my hand in my pocket. "Could I buy that snowboard off you, kid?"

The pair turn to me, both looking me up and down with opposite reactions. The boy looked fascinated with me, but the mother gripped him tightly as she looked at me with cautious eyes.

"You're Soldier?" She asks.

"No.. Or at least, not anymore.." I answer, kneeling down in front of the boy. "So, do we have a deal?"

"I'll swap you for that big sword!" He shouts excitedly.

"I don't think your mother would approve somehow.." I smile. "How about 300 gil?" I add, offering up a small stack of notes.

"For real?!" His eyes light up.

I simply nod and hand the boy the money, grinning to myself as he checks weather or not it's real before handing me the board. Standing up, I smile at the mother, who smiles back, and I walk back through the snow, to the inn. _You just need to learn to snowboard now, Cloud..."_

"Hey! Cloud's ba- Why does he have a snowboard?" Yuffie questions as I walk over to the group.

"I didn't know you could snowboard, Cloud." Tifa says, looking impressed.

"I can't, but I need to get down the mountain, so I'm gonna have to learn."

"I hope you don't think I'm following your spiky ass down the mountain on a piece of wood." Barret whines.

"You can rent snowmobiles at the edge of town. See you down there." I say finally, leaving the inn for the final time.

 **Tifa's POV**

After his outburst last night, I was pleased to see he was in a better mood this morning, but it was still evident that he was hurting inside. The truth was, none of us slept much last night.. Last night I heard him tossing and turning in bed, with his hand clutching Light's knife. He muttered her name, as well as Aeris', and I wanted to wake him; to spare him of his nightmares, but I know he was running on empty as it was. When he returns with a snowboard, I can't help but suppress a laugh, unsure what 'mr tough guy' was going to do with the colourful board.

"You can rent snowmobiles at the edge of town. See you down there." He says bluntly as he disappears out of the building.

"He's gone. Alright listen up!" I shout, getting the attention of the others quickly. "Me and Barret are going to follow Cloud down the mountain. The rest of you are going to find Claire."

"And just how do you suppose we do that? She took my goddamn plane!" Cid shouts.

"This inn is full of tourists looking to ski. They must have gotten here some how. Maybe there's a ferry somewhere." I reply.

"Why are we looking for Lightning?" Yuffie frowns.

"Because she's part of our group and Cloud needs her.." I answer painfully. "Nanaki, look after them for me."

"I shall return with Lightning." The amber eyed animal nods. "We must move quickly." He adds, leading all but me and Barret out of the inn.

Barret looks at the door hesitantly, but says nothing. I can't help shake the feeling that he wants to go with the others, now feeling indebted to the pinkette as well as guilty for firing at her. We rush outside and head towards the edge of town, where Cloud is sat in the snow, strapping the board to his boots. To the left of the slope was a small shack that rented skis, snowboards and snow mobiles, so we head there, knowing that once Cloud had got the board stuck to his boots there would be no waiting.

"I'd like to rent one of those please." I say to the man, pointing at the nearest snowmobile.

"No problem miss. Will this.. Gentleman.. be joining you today?" He asks, eying up Barret who stood beside me, to which I nod. "Then you'll need two. Someone of his.. stature.. would need his own."

"What you tryin' to say, old guy?" Barret frowns.

"That's fine, we'll take two." I interrupt, when I notice Cloud standing up.

"Certainly. You'll just have to fill in some paperwork, for insurance purposes." The man says. "one moment." He adds, disappearing inside his hut.

"I ain't got time for this shit, come on." Barret says stubbornly as he takes a seat on the nearest vehicle.

"Barret! You can't just take one!" I shout disapprovingly.

"I ain't.. We takin' two." He laughs. "Cloud has just lost one of his best friends and his woman, has just threw himself over the edge of that snow covered mountain, using a snowboard; something he no idea how to use. You don't get on the damn snow mobile and follow him now, we'll be scooping bits of his suicidal ass off the bottom."

I go to open my mouth but quickly shut it again. Everything Barret said was right. Maybe Cloud just didn't care anymore. The thought of him giving up hope was heartbreaking, especially when we've come so far, but right now all I care about is his safety. If I can keep him alive long enough for the others to find Lightning, then I know everything will be alright. Jumping onto the next snowmobile, I turn the key and follow Barret down the steep slope.

"H-Hey! You come back here!" I hear the man shout as he races after us in vain.

My stomach turns as I go ever the edge and I feel all of my weight being pushed onto my wrists, which grip the handlebars tightly. I see Cloud in the distance, but he seems to be doing surprisingly well at navigating the rocky structures that litter the otherwise perfect blanket of snow. Easing on the accelerator, I try to close the gap between us, as I look to my left to make sure Barret was still with me. Any other time, I would have probably enjoyed this, but I know in my desperation to catch up with Cloud that one mistake here could be our last.

We weave in and out of the snow topped trees, occasionally having to duck under a low hanging branch if we got too close. I only get quick glimpses, but the determination on Barret's face is as clear as day. I'm not sure if he wants to catch up to Cloud or beat him down the mountain. Becoming alarmingly efficient on the snowboard, I watch as he bends his knees and ducks down low, quickly building speed. Our snowmobiles were much faster but far less maneuverable in the increasingly littered slope.

Eventually, the slope begins to level out and if anything we're even further away from the blonde than we were originally. My now he's just a tiny dot on the horizon, often only visible by the glare from his sword; signaling his location with brief shimmers of light. But within seconds, that tiny dot got much larger. Cloud's board was no longer pointing straight down, but was now horizontal to the slope as he leaned back in an attempt to slow down. Curious to why he wanted to slow down in the middle of the snow filled mountain, I speed up to ask, only to spot the answer for myself a moment later.

"Oh Shit! Tifa, that's a cliff edge!" Barret roars, quickly snapping the throttle closed.

I do the same, but we still plow forward, straight for Cloud who was just slowing to a crawl as he looks over his shoulder.

"Jump!" Barret shouts.

The pair of us throw ourselves off the Snowmobiles and into the snow at what felt like a hundred miles per hour. We roll and slide down the hill; violently tumbling as my fingernails search for anything more substantial than snow. I feel my back collide with something hard, before a stomach churning fall has me reaching for the sky in desperation.

I feel warm for the first time in as long as I can remember, and I actually wonder if I'm dead for a moment. But when my eyes finally open, I find myself laying on a rug made from some form of animal pelt. The crackle of a nearby fire masks footsteps that I only notice when a shadow is cast over me.

"Cloud?.." I say weakly.

"Yeah, take it easy.." He smiles as he kneels next to me.

"What happened?.."

"We fell.. off the mountain. Mr Holzoff found us at the bottom unconscious. Brought us back to his home to recover." He answers softly.

"Who?..Wait, where's Barret?" I ask, quickly realizing he wasn't there.

"He's on the other room. He got away with just a dislocated shoulder. He's fine after I..." Was all I hear, as my eyes are not yet ready for the day, and I fall back into an exhaustion fueled sleep.

 **A/N: Hey everyone. I'm glad everyone is liking it so far. I hope I didn't make the last chapter to cheesy or cringey. I was trying to make it emotional but not over dramatic if you get what I mean. This whole story came from the thought of Light killing Aeris so I'm glad everyone approves haha. There's been a few reviews that aren't showing up for some reason, but I've been getting Emails and reading them there. So rest assured, if you're a guest and you send me a review, it does get read. (Cloud vs Caius will be happening!) Not sure why it's not showing up though.**

 **Right.. Question time.. The next time we hear from light, she will be waking up in Valhalla. And because I'm piss poor at synchronizing where Cloud and Light are in their own POV's, I have a question. For those of you who have completed ff7 (I assume 90% of you) there's still a couple more things that need to address before Cloud can go play in Valhalla. (Gaea's Cliff etc) Would you like me to do a summarized version of Cloud's POV (Not skipping over anything important) to get them both together again, or don't you mind having the next chapter as all Cloud? I don't wanna write 6000 words on him climbing a mountain for you all to be like.. 'Yeah, but what about Lightning?' lol.**

 **Apologies for my horrific organizational skills.**

 **Wolf**


	33. The Guardian Rises

**Cloud's POV**

Mr Holzoff told me not to climb the mountain. He begged; telling me that he had been trying for the best part of a decade to conquer the mountain without success.. His words still echo in my head as I see the summit is within reach. _'It can't be done'._ We'd spent our entire journey with the resolute acceptance that we had a slim chance of success, but I know I'll make it, because right now, death is a mercy beyond my reach. I've already lost more than I had ever hoped to have, and the man I have to stop has the ability to take more.

"Just a little further!" I shout through the blizzard as I continue my climb.

"I.. I don't think I can.." Tifa says weakly, her whole body shaking and white.

"Why couldn't Sephiroth hide out somewhere warmer?!" Barret shouts up from below Tifa.

"We can do this! We're almost there!" I encourage them.

Then it happens. My reaching hands fold around the top ridge of the cliff. A sense of relief washes over me, as my seizing muscles hoist me clumsily onto the lofty plateau, but I have no time to rest. I look back over the edge I've just scaled and offer my hand to Tifa, who's beginning to go blue with cold. She takes it gratefully, and makes the final push to the top with my assistance. Her aching body gives in as she lays down, beaten but victorious as I turn my attention to Barret.

"Give me your hand." I reach down to Barret.

"Think it through.." He says bluntly, ignoring my stretched out arm.

"Hmm?" I frown, but quickly realize his meaning. He only had one hand and letting go was not an option for him.

It was either a testament to his immense strength that he made his way to the top unaided; or perhaps it was stubbornness. Either way, we had made it to the top of what we thought was a mountain.

"This isn't a mountain.. It's a crater.. We just climbed the lip of it.." I say in amazement.

"The damn thing must be ten miles wide!" Barret gasps.

"Jenova did this?" Tifa asks as she rubs her legs in an attempt to subdue frostbite.

"Looks like it.. Sephiroth is close now.. I can feel it." I say. "Stand up."

She does as I ask and I use my barrier materia on the three of us before rummaging around in my pocket for a fire materia. The pair look at me with confusion as I slot the green orb in my weapon and flinch when I cast it on us, but they soon relax when they realize what I'd done. The invisible barrier around us absorbed the fire, protecting us from harm, but warmed the air inside considerably, protecting us from the sub zero temperatures.

"Could you not have thought of that a day ago?" Barret asks, but Tifa smiles at me warmly.

"The idea only just popped into my head. Let's go. The further down we go, the more protection from the wind we'll get."

I lead our small party towards the center of the crater; which seems to have it's own chaotic weather. The lightning that strikes randomly across the ground reminds me of Claire, but I push it to the side of my mind. I need to find Sephiroth and kill him. For Aeris.. The ground is more broken up as we near the center, and I can smell the lifestream's sweet odor rising from the cracks, creating a green mist. It must be the planet slowly trying to heal itself, but if it took two thousand years to get to this, I can only imagine the original devastation.

"Watch your step. The ground is breaking up and shifting." I warn them as I have to be careful to step over the lifestream filled crevices for the first time.

"Hey, look!" Tifa shouts, pointing to the distance at a trio of black figures who were stopped on a lone pathway that lead to the center..

I watch as two of the black figures fall in unison off either side of the pathway, into the lifestream. It was Sephiroth.. Driven by revenge, I race towards him, eager to let my sword taste his blood. I hear the others rush after me as I get closer and closer, silently begging that this wasn't just an illusion.

"Sephiroth!" I roar, causing him to turn.

"This is the end!" Barret says, when he catches up.

"You're right.. This is the end of this body's usefulness." Sephiroth says before vanishing before my eyes.

"Keep your eyes open.. He might still be nearby.." I say as I scan the pathway closely through the haze of mako mist.

 _Our purpose is to deliver the black materia to our master_

"Our?.." I mutter silently.

"He get away?" Barret questions, still with his gunarm held high.

 _Those who carry Jenova's cells.._

"Master..." I frown. _Sephiroth..._

I hear his laugh echo through my mind, but the sound seems to be coming from behind. Snapping around, I initially find nothing, but like a flash, he appears from above and strikes before I can even tighten my grip on my weapon. After hitting the hard ground like a hammer, I stagger to my feet to find Sephiroth was nowhere to be seen. In his place was something I had killed twice already. Jenova.

"Why won't you stay dead!?" I roar.

 **Claire's POV**

I come around slowly, feeling the damp sand devour my fingertips as I press them into the ground to get up. The sound of the sea lapping up onto the shore behind me gives me hope that I would soon be reunited with Serah, but when my eyes open, I'm left clueless as to where I am. With my eyes shut, I could hear the sound of Bodum; my hometown, but my reality was much darker.

"Where am I?" I question myself.

Dark clouds filled a dull sky that hung over a ghostly metropolis. Not a single sign of life could be seen in the abandoned city, and I search the skies for Cocoon. There was nothing.. But this world I was on did not seem like Pulse either. My journey as a L'cie had me explore only a slither of the planet's surface, but there wasn't a settlement of this magnitude to be seen. I look at the city before me; which rises as it gets to the center, where a strange temple stands. It overlooks the land with it's monstrous proportions and stands out by having the only splash of colour, in the form of a huge, emerald ribbon of glass that snaked above the main structure.

A pain in my heart strikes me down as I look at the green ribbon. It reminded me of the life I was taken from and the eyes who's life I took. _Aeris... I'm sorry.._

 _Come.._

I look around when I hear the voice; which seemed to travel to me on the breeze, but I find nothing. My eyes are still fixated on the temple, and curiosity gets the better of me within seconds. Keeping on high alert I draw my sword; which is still speckled with my friend's blood, and walk off the sand and into the city, checking every corner as I pass through the deserted streets. It takes me half an hour to carefully and methodically make my way to the temple's entrance. So far, the only sound I've heard was that voice and my own lonely footsteps. If I ever meet Hojo again, I'll pull him apart for what he's done to me.

 _Come, my child.. No need to be afraid. I am Etro, Goddess of the Chaos and the one who spared you of your L'cie fate.._

I flinch at the sound of the voice, but I continue on and enter the temple. My head glances to the right out of habit, but Cloud isn't there. In my haste to leave, I've now removed any chance of seeing him again and it kills me inside. I try desperately to play the thing's he said to me over and over again in my head, in the fear that one day I'll forget his voice. Or the way his lips tasted on my own.. My rash behavior has gotten me into this mess, and it's too late for the rational solider in me to dig myself out of the hole.

After a brief climb, I make it to the main chamber of the temple, which is surprisingly empty. The only thing of interest was a crystal throne, which sat atop it's own pillar. Although I see nobody in the room, I feel Etro's presence now more than ever. Slowly edging my way into the center of the room, I feel drawn to the throne. I holster my weapon as I no longer feel threatened by the entity that lurked beyond my sight and wait a moment for it to speak again. Instead, I'm shown flashes of an image that I don't understand.

At first I thought it was another focus, but it soon became apparent that it was much more than that. What I was seeing was the entire span of time unfold in front of me. A time that had been warped by my actions. I got to watch my people's new home, Pulse, never see the new millennium. _Is this the fate I've doomed the world to?_ When the vision faded to black, I thought it was over, but It had only just begun. I got to re-watch my abduction from Pulse, but also what happened after. Serah looks around desperately for me, but finds nobody. In a panic, she confronts the others; but to my shock, they tell her that I was never there, and that I must be inside the crystal pillar with Vanille and Fang. _I don't understand.. We talked.. I gave Snow my blessing.._

 _This was time's way of dealing with the paradox caused by you being removed from the timeline. It altered everyone's memories of the events in order to stem the contradictions. All but your sister, who's memory was to fixated on you to be altered without damage._ _Now that you have returned, the repercussions will become unstoppable._ _Bit remember.. What I have shown you is the span of time currently.. With the paradoxical effects created by you, it is subject to change._

"Send me back. I'll go back if it will fix things." I offer.

 _I would not know how.. But the damage is already done.. You have brought a foreign body with you. One that poses great danger to the human world._

"Jenova..." I sigh. "If you can remove it from my body, I offer an eternity of service to you." I say taking a knee and ready to beg if I must.

 _In Valhalla, time does not exist. This world is free from it's grasp. You would be charged with protecting me while I return to my rest. I am slowly fading away.. When I do, you will take my place.._

"Anything to get this 'thing' out of me.."

 _Then rise, Guardian.._

I stand on command, feeling a gentle breeze build around me, caressing my skin. My fingers start to tingle, so I raise my hand into the air as my clothes begin to fade away. With my other hand, I quickly cover my ribbon, determined for it to remain, and it does. Standing naked only briefly, I feel the tiny weight of material forming over my hand, quickly turning into a black suede glove. Closing my eyes, I feel the wickedness of Jenova's cells push through my skin and get carried away by the wind, as I feel my body slowly become encased in armour.

When the breeze finally stops, I open my eyes to find I'm adorned in mirror polished armour. The ribbon on my arm is the only thing I have left to remind me of my brief 'other' life, and I take comfort knowing that it would last forever with me here. Looking down at the armour on my arms, I catch my reflection in it's surface. My eyes still had the glow.. All that was left now was for me to watch over this world of emptiness, unsure what I was supposed to be fighting.

Over time, I discover animals from Pulse roaming the city and Eidolons; all of which follow my command. My heart warms when I try to summon Odin, to find him appear at my side in an instant. It was a mild comfort to have something I understand, fighting by my side. It quickly became apparent that there was no day or night in Valhalla, only an eternal dullness that never faded. Time truly was not welcome in Etro's world. From the balcony of the temple, I look down on the coast, and the black waves which wash up onto the shore. I don't know how long I was stood there; it could have been an hour or a thousand years.. It was pointless for me to wonder such things.

Eventually, my gaze finds a sight that burned into the heart I thought had grown numb to the pain. Caius Ballad; a man I had seen many times as I delved into the past, stood waist deep in the ocean's placid liquid. In his arms was a young girl, I know her name too. She was the first human ever created, and was given a terrible curse. She was given the ability to see into the future, but that gift would kill her, only for her to be reborn to repeat the process. It was a sad thought that someone no older than sixteen was subject to such torment.

I don't make my presence known, but watch with tear filled eyes. From here, I can't hear the sombre words he was surely saying, but I could see his lips moving. He pauses for a moment, using a hand to brush stray locks away from her face, before finally letting her go. She does not sink however, instead, her body breaks up into light and ascend into the sky. I have to turn away and wipe the tears from my eyes, because all I see is Cloud and Aeris, but after seeing the span of time, I know this won't be the last time I'm subjected to this torture.

 **Cloud's POV**

I dive out of the way of Jenova's tentacle like limb, being careful where I land on the narrow and crumbling pathway. Sephiroth had vanished again and I was left to fight his monstrous mother that even death wouldn't take. Machine gun fire bursts from Barret's multi-barrelled gun, peppering the creature with lead. I use the welcome distraction to cleave through it's oily flesh, opening up a two foot long slice in it's torso. Tifa freezes the wound, stopping it from closing, but we're all brought to our knees in agony. A red mist fills the air and it feels like my blood is boiling. I quickly grab any materia from my pocket, not to concerned at bout what it was and grip it tightly.

I don't see what happened, but within seconds a large beam of energy bursts from the heavens, vaporizing Jenova, as well as the platform it was stood on. The burning sensation fades, and I'm finally able to push myself off the ground to find a black dragon hovering high in a cloud filled sky. It lingers for a moment before flapping it's monstrous wings and ascending back behind the grey blanket of fluff.

"Jenova's cells... So that what this was all about.." I mutter as I stand to my feet. "The Jenova reunion."

"Not Sephiroth?! You mean all of this time it wasn't Sephiroth we've been after?" Tifa asks in disbelief.

"I'll explain later.." I say as I spot the obsidian rock that was the black materia, resting on the edge of the destroyed pathway. "We got the black materia back at least."

"So what do we do now?" Barret asks.

"The real Sephiroth is up ahead. I need to end this.. But I can't risk taking the black materia closer to him.. Barret.. I want you to take it and find a way back to the Icicle inn." I ask him.

"You want me to leave you here? After I've come all this way?" He frowns.

"I need to stop Sephiroth.. But I can't trust myself around him.. If I can't stop him then at least the materia will be hidden from him." I explain.

"Fine.. But for the record, you fighting him alone is a dumb idea. Even for you." He says as I hand the obsidian rock to him.

"I'll be fine.. See ya later." I nod, taking the lead down the broken pathway with Tifa at my side.

The pair of us continue towards the center of the crater, and I wonder to myself if I should send Tifa away and go on alone. Quickly realizing the fight that she'd put up, I decide against it and march on with revenge on my mind. After about five minutes, my world turns white, and I quickly hold my hand out to stop Tifa from advancing. When the light fades away, I'm stood at the entrance of Nibelhiem.

"What happened?!" Tifa panics.

"Sephiroth is near. This is an illusion he made up.." I answer, no longer phased by the silver haired man's tricks. "He's just trying to trick us. As long as we know it's an illusion, then there's nothing to be afraid of.."

"Yeah... You're right.." She replies, but she doesn't sound convinced. "Oh, look!" The brunette adds, pointing behind us.

I'm left to watch a scene I've played over in my head hundreds of times. It was the first time I came back to my hometown after becoming Soldier first class. Sephiroth is first to enter my view, followed closely by two guards. But when I look over his shoulder, it's not me that I see. Instead, a dark haired man walks into town with my sword on his back. Even knowing that it was all an illusion, seeing the man's face made me wince in pain.

"Stop... Sephiroth.." Tifa begs.

"This is so stupid..." I huff.

Another flash and the image disappears, only to be replaced with my hometown ablaze. The view I'm presented with was from the water tower looking down, making the fiery scene even more sinister. In my mind, I know what happens next, but it's no surprise when I see the man with black hair rush out of the Shinra mansion instead of me. I sigh; now bored of Sephiroth's games and look on as the scene unfolds.

"I don't... want to watch this.. Cloud... Don't look.." Tifa says, her voice now trembling with worry.

"..What's wrong, Tifa? I told you before, it's all just a trick." I say, hoping to calm her nerves. "Sephiroth! I know that you're listening, and I know what you're trying to say! That I wasn't in Nibelhiem five years ago!"

"I see you finally understand." Sephiroth says calmly as he materializes in front of me.

"You can't confuse me anymore. I remember it all. The heat of the fire... the pain in my body... and the pain in my heart..."

"Oh, is that so?" He laughs. "You are just a puppet. You have no heart... and cannot feel any pain.. What I've shown you is reality. What you remember is the illusion.. Do you understand?"

"I don't want to understand! But I want to ask you one thing.. Why.. Why are you doing this?"

"ha ha ha! I want to take you back to your real self. The one that gave me the black materia that day. Who would have ever thought that a failed experiment would prove to be so useful.. Now that my other puppet is gone, you can become useful again.. Hojo would die if he knew.."

"What do you mean she's gone?! And what does Hojo have to do with me?!" I roar.

"Lightning? She's gone.. Her body no longer walks this earth.." He says smugly. "As for you.. Five years ago you where constructed by Hojo, piece by piece right after Nibelheim was burnt down. A putter made from Jenova's vibrant cells and the power of the mako. An incomplete Sephiroth clone, not even worthy of a number... That is your reality.."

"Cloud, don't listen to him! Close your ears! Close your eyes!" Tifa pleads. "Everything he said was a lie!"

"Hahaha... Tifa.. Why are you so worried and scared by my words?" Sephiroth asks. "Shall I show him what's really in your heart?"

"... Tifa.. Sephiroth isn't.. right.. about me. Is he?" I ask, now questioning everything.

"... It's true.." Was all she managed, but it was enough to shatter the confidence I had built up about myself over the years into tiny pieces.

"Cloud.. Don't blame Tifa.. The ability to change one's looks, voice, and words, is the power of Jenova. She made you out of Tifa's memory.. A boy named Cloud might have just been a part of them.."

I feel something break inside, as I'm left questioning my very existence. I dig through my memories, desperate to find the answers I'm looking for, but all it leaves me with is more questions. When did I join Soldier? How did I join it? How long did it take me to achieve my lifelong goal? These were questions that everyone who had became a member of Soldier should know, but I didn't, and it killed me inside.. No.. It didn't matter if I couldn't remember.. I did it, and that's all that really matters..

"I'm okay.. Tifa, let's go." I say softly as the illusion fades.

 **Barret's POV**

I wish they'd made the decision before I climbed half way down a frozen crater, but I understand why. Even so, the walk back was cold and miserable. I look down on the small black orb, unsure why the planet would ever spit something like this out. It weighed no more than any other materia, but the mental burden of carrying something so sinister and powerful was something I couldn't overlook. I pocket it, hoping if I didn't have to look at the stupid thing then I wouldn't think about it so much. The second my hand exits my pocket, it begins to vibrate, and I freeze in panic, hoping I hadn't accidentally activated it and doomed us all, but a moment later a ring tone kicks in, and my heart allows itself another beat.

"You just scared the shit out of me. This better be good!" I roar down the phone.

" _You're scared of a phone you big girl? Put Tifa on."_ Yuffie says down the phone.

"That's gonna be a little difficult. Cloud and Tifa have gone to the center of the crater. I'm heading back to the town with the black materia."

" _You just left them to fight Sephiroth on their own!- Give me the phone, squirt!- Barret, this is Cid. We have some good news and some bad news.."_

"I could really be doin' without any bad news, Cid.." I sigh down the phone.

" _Well the good news is.. your kid and Aeris' mom has made it safely to Kalm. The cat seems to have turned traitor to Shinra and got us in contact.. The bad news.. While we're waiting for the next ship to pick us up, Vincent used the computer in the hotel and managed to log into Shinra's Surveillance archive.. Anyway.. There's a CCTV video of Claire and Hojo's stand off.."_

"ANNND?! What happened?!" I scream down the phone.

" _She's gone.. Not sure how, but Hojo did something and she was sucked into some portal. Not before puttin' a round in his chest, mind."_

I say nothing, but launch the phone across the crater, watching as it skips along the hard rock.

"FUCK!" I roar so loudly that it echos through the crater.

Knowing that my apology would never reach her left a bitter taste in my mouth. I know what I saw, but that's just what Sephiroth does. Was it his goal to destroy us as a group? We'd never be able to beat him if we were fighting amongst ourselves. My blind rage made a desperate woman think the only way out was to run.. I'll add it to the ever growing list of mistakes..

"Barret!" I hear Tifa's voice in the distance.

"Tifa!? What are you doin' here? Where's Cloud?" I question as she runs towards me.

"Cloud's in trouble! Barret, you have to come quick!" She pants.

"What about the materia?"

"There's no time! Come on!" She shouts and I follow without question.

 **Claire's POV**

From Etro's temple, I search through the span of time, taking comfort in seeing Serah as a child. I ignore my own hardship growing up and watch her grow throughout the years. I fear this is as close as I'll ever get.. My gaze turns to the future, which is still a blur to me. I see the fall of Cocoon as always, but this time I see Serah stood atop an aircraft with the symbol of Etro glowing in her eyes. She falls down as the vision ends, and I'm left shaking..

"How... How does she have the eyes of Etro?.. Only the Seeress, Yeul has it.." I tell myself. "Serah.. I won't let this happen to you.. I promise.."

I try to replay the vision in my mind, but instead I'm shown another. It was Etro's gate. The barrier above this city that acted like a dam for the chaos. It opens it's doors slightly, and a figure falls from the heavens. The light is blinding, but I see a silhouette fall towards the city. Reality reclaims me and I'm left to ponder over what I've seen. But it was better than what my thoughts usually turned to as I continue my eternal guard. _Cloud..._

 **A/N: Hey everyone. I emailed them about my reviews and it was fixed in an hour or so which is good goin' of 's part. Glad that's all sorted.**

 **IMPORTANT: for those of you who haven't finished ff7. The 'Tifa' in Barret's POV is not Tifa. It's Jenova, who is tricking him to bring the materia back to Cloud. It's explained in the game because your a 3rd person but from the POV of Barret, it can't really be expained.**

 **Sorry for the delay on this one. I left it a couple of days to see what you all decided and I hope I've made the right choice. Nothing important has been skipped, just the climbing of the cliff has been shortened dramatically.**

 **Now.. Question time..The reason I ended this chapter here is because In ff13-2 it starts with Noel falling through the gate.. My question is.. Do we want to make Noel disappear and be replaced with Cloud and have Serah and Cloud find Lightning.. Or do we want Noel in there as well? If we're going with Noel, I'll try to keep the story as close as humanly possible to the game. Or if we're erasing poor Noel from history then I'll have Cloud's 'Discovery of himself' as part of this. The decision, as always, is yours.**

 **I'm glad you're all liking some of the funny bits. It breaks up what is quite a miserable story haha. Got some new reviewers too! So thank you for taking the time to leave me a message, it means a lot. Finally.. Lumina, I'm glad you enjoyed my other 7/13 fic. When you've caught up with the sequel, let me know and I'll start making more chapters for it. Okay ill stop talking now...**

 **Wolf**


	34. A Timely Reunion

**Claire's POV**

The ability to see the fate of mankind was a burden I wouldn't wish on anybody, but it was the price I had paid for my freedom from Sephiroth's hold. The worst part of it all was the fact that all I could do was watch. Ignorance is bliss. I always hated that phrase.. Being clinical and precise about everything was always important to me, but I finally understand that sometimes it can be a blessing. Over time; for lack of a better word, I had explored the city that I silently guarded, and stumbled upon a coliseum. It was quite literally an amphitheater of death.

I walk through to the pit, picking up the pace as I hear the sound of a battle erupting through the tunnels. When I finally get there, I find an armoured man that stood about ten feet tall, with a staff, fighting what looked like a toy moogle. I can't help but frown at the tiny toy's pitiful attempt to fight back, only to be swatted to the ground like a fly, despite it being a courageous act.

"I have no use for one so weak.. And in Valhalla, the weak serve the strong.." The armoured knight said with a demonic tone. "Only the strong can avoid death's embrace.."

"Wait!" I shout, causing them both to turn.

"I am the Arbiter of time. Not even the Guardian can stay my hand from my duty.." The knight said.

"You said the weak serve the strong.. I'm the strongest thing here.. The moogle serves me.." I command.

"...As you wish." He mutters angrily.

"Come on, before I change my mind." I tell the moogle, who nods in relief. "You got a name?"

"Mog, Kupo.." He say's wearily as he follows me back to the temple.

"Well Mog, are you of any use to me?" I ask, unsure what I should do with him now that I had spared him. "To be honest, I thought moogles were just in fairytales.."

"I'm quite real, Kupo. I can change into whatever you need, Kupo." Mog tells me.

"I doubt you could turn into what I want.." I sigh, thinking of the blonde. "...Show me."

The little moogle gives me a nod and vanishes in a poof of smoke, just as I feel something cold and metallic dropped into my hands. The tiny cloud dissipates to reveal a strange looking sword with a large, blue and pink hilt that had a crystal in the center that was the same as the Mog's 'antenna'. I brush my thumb over the edge to find it was razor sharp. Quite impressed with the little creature's ability, I toss it into the air so he could return to his original form. To my surprise, the blade splits down the middle and opens up, turning into a bow, before finally Mog appears.

"Not bad." I nod.

I'm about to speak again when I see another vision. The man falling from the gate.. He was only young, with brunette hair and a strange looking sword. I've seen him before.. at the end of time.. Noel Kreiss, the last of humanity. Maybe you can bring my sister to me. It was a strange and twisted thing to be able to see a person's entire lifespan, but knowing the kind of man Noel was, I knew he could be trusted.

"You okay, Kupo?" Mog asks, floating close to my face.

"Fine." I lie.

All that was left was for me to wait until the end of time. Half of me wanted the day to never come but I'd do anything for a distraction from my thoughts. Just a few moments away from playing out scenario's that could have been. Stopping Sephiroth and living happily ever after. As selfish as it sounds, there isn't anything that I wouldn't give to have Cloud and my sister by my side, but I know it would be nothing short of a miracle just to see one of them again.

 **Tifa's POV**

I follow Cloud in silence as we are only a few hundred meters from the center of the crater. He walks as if he's in a trance; probably trying to process what he'd just saw. I feel disgusted in myself for lying to him for all this time, but I thought that I could protect him by hiding the truth from him. I guess I was wrong... I often wonder about Zack, but was too terrified to bring it up in fear of Cloud suffering a breakdown. Pushing the thought to the back of my mind, I check my equipment for the battle ahead. Within moments, my eyes fall to the center of the crater, where a small opening that looks like it goes deep into the heart of the planet.

"I think maybe we should-" I begin, but Cloud continues on, slowly walking down the steep slope that leads us to a cave full of crystal and three unexpected enemies.

"H-Hey! Where did you come from!" Scarlet roars as she spots Cloud walking right towards them with me right behind.

"This place is going to get rough. Better leave things to me and get out while you still can." Cloud replies, but I can't help but notice that something was off with his voice.

"Leave things to you? Hmph... I don't know what you mean." Rufus says smugly, but my eyes are on Hojo who is grinning to himself silently.

"This is where the reunion is happening. Where everything begins and ends." Cloud continues.

I go to try and shake some sense into the blonde, but I spot Barret rushing down the ramp, panting heavily.

"Damn, Tifa! You sure can run fast- What the hell are they doin' here!?" Barret pants as he rushes over to Cloud.

Before I can open my mouth, Cloud holds out his hand and asks for the black materia. I go to shot but no sound comes out and I feel like I'm being choked. Barret frowns at Cloud, but eventually gives him the obsidian orb that could doom us all.

"Kinda glad.. Don't like holdin' that thing at all.." Barret sighs.

"I'll take care of things from here.." Cloud says, before turning to the rest of us. "Everyone, thanks for everyting.. And... I'm sorry.. Especially you Tifa.. I'm really sorry.. I never lived up to being 'Cloud'.."

"HAHAHAHA! This is perfect! It means my experiment was a complete success!" Hojo cackles as I feel a little part of me die inside. "What number are you? Where's your tattoo?" He adds, now sounding annoyed.

"You never gave me one.. You said I was a failure.." Cloud mutters.

"Only a failure made it here!? Miserable failure!"

Barret raises his gun arm to fire at Hojo, but is knocked off balance as the ground starts to shake. I'm almost positive that I saw a huge eye flicker inside the crystalline walls, but my attention turns to Cloud, who's feet lift off the ground slowly, and he begins to ascend up to the roof of the cave which is covered with a web of thick roots and crystal.

"My theory was correct. Even if Jenova's body is dismembered, it will eventually become one again. That's what is meant by the Jenova reunion. I have been waiting for it to start. It's been five years.. I thought they would gather at Midgar, where it's body was stored. But Jenova itself began to move away from the Shinra building. You see, it was all Sephiroth's doing." Hojo smiles.

As Cloud reaches the root system at the top of the cave, the whole thing shudders, loosening enough to lower a crystal 'egg' into view. We all gasp when our eyes fall on the upper half of Sephiroth's body, encased inside a crystal tomb. Even Rufus is begging Cloud to stop, but all we can do is watch as his hand pierces the crystal with the materia, giving it to Sephiroth. The whole crater seems to erupt in anger as Hojo just stands there and laughs. It was the President who was the light of reason.

"Everyone to the airship! There's still more I wish to know." Rufus orders.

My eyes remain fixated on Cloud, but I feel Barret's hand grip my arm, pulling me away. The whole cave collapses in on itself, and the last thing I remember was an ocean of water consuming Cloud and then myself...

 **Cloud's POV**

The icy water snaps me back to my senses, just in time to watch myself get consumed by the planet. Monstrous beings burst out of the water around me, causing currents that suck me further down into the pits of hell. The cold liquid feels like razor blades on my lungs as my body forces me to take a breath. The dim light from above fades as I sink to my demise.

" _Giving up already?"_ I hear Aeris voice speak to me.

"I'm dead?.." I say, almost in relief.

" _Do you want to be?"_ She asks.

"I deserve to be.." I sigh. "...I'm sorry.. I couldn't save you.."

" _You where never meant to save me.. You came.. That's all that matters.."_

"What do you mean, I was never meant to save you? You knew this was going to happen?" I ask I disbelief.

" _I did.. I told Claire not to blame herself, but I don't think she remembers.. But if you want to stop Sephiroth, you're going to need Claire.."_

"Aeris... She's gone.." I say with a breaking voice. "How could she stop Sephiroth?"

" _Only you can stop Sephiroth.. But everyone needs a reason to fight.. Something personal.. Something beyond the desire just to continue living.. But being out of sight doesn't mean gone, silly.. If you want, I'll send you to her.. And maybe you can find the real you too.."_ Aeris offers.

"The real me?.."

" _Sephiroth wasn't lying when he showed you what happened in Nibelheim. But you weren't created.. You were born in Nibelheim and you grew up with the dream of becoming Soldier first class.."_

"You know what happened to me?" I ask with hope peaking my voice.

" _I do now.. But I can't tell you.. It's something that you'll have to discover on your own.. Claire has been sent to her own world.. She was injected with Sephiroth cells taken from your body.. upon her return she has corrupted time itself. Her, and two worlds full of people will die if the paradoxes are not resolved. Perhaps you'll find your own answers while solving theirs."_

"But I don't belong in her world. Wouldn't I be a paradox?" I question, unsure of the ever complicating tale.

" _Not even time can divide two people who belong together.. Besides, you have something the planet will recognize."_ She says softly.

"...The knife..." I mutter to myself. "What do I have to do?"

" _Open your eyes."_

 **Claire's POV**

A terrible feeling of dread swamps my heart as I look onto the rolling waves of chaos that caress the dark sand. Movement catches my eye on the beach, and it's a sight I hoped to never see. Caius paces softly with the young Seeress held tightly in his arms. I can't take my eyes off him as his boots break through the water's surface and he makes his way further into the ocean. He slowly lowers her body into the waters of chaos and Yeul dissipates into light, slipping through his fingertips. It was like a light had been switched on in my mind as she faded away. The one determined to destroy us all was Caius..

"This eternity.. It was never your desire. Is that not so, Yuel?" He says softly before his fist clenches and the water erupts with thousands of Meonekton, that swarm towards the temple like a hive of angry hornets. "Warrior Goddess.. Now we cross swords!" He roars, drawing a demonic looking blade from his back, which glows with the power of Chaos.

Feeling the tension in the air. Etro's Eidolons are stood before me, ready for my order as my own swarm of wyvern take to the skies to meet his army head on. I draw my sword as Stiria and Nix launch themselves at Caius, who is now on the blackened sand.

"Loose yourself in battle and rejoice!" Caius roars as he slashes down on the sand, sending a beam of purple energy ripping up the coastline.

Stiria and Nix reach the purple eyed guardian in seconds and unleash their blizzard attack, entombing Caius in a jagged mound of ice. As I leap off the building and onto a waiting Odin, the immortal man's hand bursts through the ice as Stiria continues her attack, and catches her by the face, rendering her helpless.

"Embrace the terror.." He says to the Eidolon as he throws her into her into her sister, knocking them both down. "Husk of the wandering comet... I summon thee!" He shouts as he spots me atop Odin, heading straight for him.

Light bursts into the sky like a laser beam, as the earth in front of me explodes from the surface and hovers above, blocking my view of the enemy. A purple glyph of light is imprinted on the dark clouds, bathing everything below in violet. The clouds above begin to spiral around the center of the magical glyph, until a comet pierces them slowly, followed by multiple air to ground strikes, which bombard the battlefield, killing both friend and foe alike.

Understanding my every thought and need, Odin leaps into the air and onto the nearest of the floating platforms that once made up the coast. I spot Caius on the highest platform, and with great agility, my trusty companion leaps from rock to rock, slowly getting me closer to my target as burning blue rock fall from the heavens like bombs. By now, I've nearly made it to the purple haired protector, but the rock Odin is stood on gets turned to dust by the falling meteors and I'm thrown from his back, loosing my sword in the process. I land on a smaller lump of rock below and quickly spot my ornate weapon sticking out of the next platform. Desperate to be reunited with my weapon, I kick off the gravity defying rock towards my sword, gripping it loosely and using my momentum to fire myself high into the air so I'm looking down on Caius.

"Caius Ballad!" I shout, making sure he was looking at me as I attacked him.

The man grunts and sends a beam of purple, plasma like energy towards me as I fall towards him. Quickly bringing my arm up, I wrestle with the force of the energy before finally finding the strength to redirect it up, destroying him comet summon. I can only hope the meteor Cloud has to deal with is so easily stopped... Finally, even I have to abide by the will of gravity, and I fall to the ground, landing behind Caius.

"Impressive.." He says in his deep tone.

"Save it." I reply bluntly.

There was a brief pause, where neither one of us wanted to be the first to turn, but filled with rage I spin on my heels to attack, only for my sword to meet his. I parry his weapon away but he leaps back, creating a gap and the time needed to regain his guard. Evenly matched, we trade blows, neither of us able to cut the other with our weapons. Caius' demonic sword skims over my head as I duck down, countering with a stab, which the man catches with his bare hand.

"Damn you.." I growl.

"Enough.." He sighs, dragging the tip of my blade over his heart, which glows red through his deep purple attire. "Let's end this.."

"That glow!?" I gasp, Pulling my blade form his grasp when I realize that he possessed the heart of Etro.

"Cast your shadow over all." He shouts as his eyes begin to glow red. "Wings of night!"

The last thing I see is the eye of his sword as I'm blasted back, through an ever glowing cloud of dense, lilac smoke. My feet touch down on one of the few remaining floating platforms, when an ear splitting roar bursts through the smoke. Red eyes are the first thing I see, moments before a clawed hand swipes down towards me. Quickly leaping from the platform, I get above what I mistake to be his Eidolon, Bahamut, as it crushes the rock with ease. This Chaos Bahamut was not a separate entity to Caius, but part of him. I slash at it in vain, only to be swatted out of the sky.

My pink hair ripples over my face, as the sensation of falling snaps my eyes open. I quickly turn to find the onyx coloured shores of Valhalla right below me, so I open my arms and legs, increasing the wind resistance and slowing my descent.

"Odin!" I shout, quickly finding my most trusted companion galloping across the shore to catch me.

He leaps into the air, catching me on his back as he lands gracefully back onto the sand. The beach behind me explodes when Chaos Bahamut launches his aerial assault on us, but Odin's pace keeps us from harm. I fire at the winged dragon with my gunblade, causing little more than annoyance to it. It casts a shadow over us as it flies past, before quickly turning. I clench my thighs around Odin, to tell him to slow, but the megaflare has already been launched at us. My trusted Eidolon veers right at the last moment, sparing me from the brunt of the blast and darts off into the city. I know being on the ground made me vulnerable, so I head for the sky bridge to help even the odds. The diagonal support strut would be the quickest way up, and reading my mind, Odin begins his sprint up the pillar. I turn around as I call upon my Eidolon's dual swords, slashing Chaos Bahamut away.

"What's he up to?" I question, when it disappears from view.

Quickly reaching the top of the strut, Odin leaps up high to get us on the bridge, but our enemy appears directly in front, leaving us nowhere to go. My eyes widen in panic as the blast of energy consumes us, but I don't feel any pain. Cold, mechanical hands wrap around me and hold on tight until the sensation of falling is over. Odin carefully places me on the roof of the building he's stood on before dissipating into the wind. A hiss above draws my attention to Caius, who lands gracefully across the roof from me.

"Right.." I mutter.

"... Let's not waste time.." He replies, glowing with dark energy.

He fires a 'ruin' spell at me, but my gunblade has already unleashed a round from it's chamber, causing Caius' attack to blow up in his face, sending him smashing through one of the bridge's pillars. Not allowing him time to recover, I bombard him with my own 'ruin' spells, shattering the emerald ribbon above us both. I watch as the structure crumbles and collapses, soon to bury the purple haired man.

"Power of chaos. Bend to my will!" He roars, pausing the fall of the broken ribbon and using them to leap towards me. "Giving up?"

"So you want to destroy everything?" I question.

"Oblivion is the fate of all things.." Caius says coldly as he pushes off the platform, launching himself towards me.

I parry his slash and send him crashing back down onto the gravity defying sheet of metal.

"Now it's my turn." He growls.

I turn my gunblade back into it's gun mode and open fire, but his demonic blade absorbs all off the damage as he throws himself towards me again.

"Pathetic!"

"Let's end this." I demand, summoning up all the strength I could muster.

"Not today!" Caius roars defiantly as he does the same.

We both attack; neither one of us willing to give an inch, until the inevitable happens. The blast consumes us both, knocking us both off our respective platforms.

"I must thank you. In these final moments, I have met my finest opponent." He praises me as he looks around for me.

"You're finished Caius!" I shout, attacking him from behind.

I strike him down and watch the man plummet into the earth as his control of the chaos slips from his grasp. The floating bits of debris fall from the sky and down onto Caius, sending up a dust cloud which briefly conceals the wreckage. I watch for movement in the dense dust cloud, not quite satisfied in my victory, when I brilliant light shines from above.

"Etro's gate?" I mutter to myself, watching the divine gateway between life and death open up just a crack and a shadow of a man fall. "Of course. The one from the vision.. I know your name.. Noel Kreiss."

My hand finds it's way over my heart, and I pray for Bahamut's assistance. The pink crystal rose that forms in my hand tells me I have the Eidolon's services as I throw myself off the skybridge. I release the crystal rose bud from my hand and shatter it with my sword, summoning up the dragon that once answered to an old friend. It catches me as I fall, and within a second, I'm soaring like a jet towards the falling man. Behind me I hear the earsplitting roar of Chaos Bahamut as I line myself up beneath Noel.

"Quickly!" I shout, catching his attention.

"What in the...?" He gasps, twisting in the air to the sound of my voice.

"I'm here!" I say, stretching out my hand to the young hunter.

I catch him with some considerable force as he clings to my body, but he seems to be okay. We continue to climb, so that when I eventually turn, there should be enough distance between me and Caius to let us go unnoticed for a while. No harm must come to Noel.. He's the only one that can get Serah to me..

"Where am I?" Noel asks softly.

"Valhalla." I answer. "You prayed for a miracle, and that brought you here. Or am I wrong?"

"How did you know?!" He asks in disbelief.

"From Valhalla, I can see everything."

"But.. Who are you?" He questions, trying to make sense of the situation.

"..Lightning." I almost said Claire.. That name is gone now..

"Look out! Here it comes!" Noel shouts, pointing to Chaos Bahamut who had finally located us in the dull gray sky. "What now?!"

"Gonna get worse.." I sigh.

Standing up on Bahamut's back, I call upon the power Etro had bestowed upon me and a deep crackle echos through the clouds. My Eidolon dodges the blasts as I hold my blade up high in the sky. A lightning bolt arcs off my weapon and into the clouds, before raining down electricity onto my enemy, sending it crashing to the city. With Caius slowed down but not beaten, I head for the temple, where a time gate would be waiting for me. Gripping Noel by the scruff of the neck, I throw us both off the flying dragon and onto the temple. He lands less than gracefully as I dismiss my weapon.

"How do we fight him?" Noel asks, eager to continue the battle.

"This is not your battle. There is something else I need you to do." I say softly.

"What?"

"Bring my sister to me.. Her name is Serah.." I explain, taking a step towards the edge of the temple roof and looking down. "You need to use the portal. Your time-gazing friend should have told you how it works."

"That's a gate?" He says, not filling my with confidence. "But, why me?"

"Because you're the only one who can. You crossed the void and made it to Valhalla. You can find Serah, and together you can change the future.."

"I can change the future?" The hunter frowns.

"Yes.." I nod as I call upon Mog, who appears in an instant. "A good luck charm. Give him to Serah."

"Kupo!" The mog cheers as he turns into the bowblade, which drops into Noel's hand.

"You got it. I'll track her down." He nods as all of Valhalla starts to shake. "What's happening?!"

"Enjoying your little chat?" I hear Caius' bellowing voice from above.

"Caius!?" Noel shouts in disbelief, earning a smug grin from the man, who summons another of his comets.

"Get to the gate! I'm counting on you!" I roar, taking a stand in front of the young hunter.

"Okay!" He agrees, leaving me to deal with the man who holds Etro's heart.

I watch Noel throw himself off the building and reach his hand down to the gate, but Caius regains my attention as the eye in his demonic blade glows with power. The purple glyph of light which draws the comet near needs to be destroyed quickly, but I know the immortal won't make the same mistake as last time. I summon my weapon, but before it materializes my hand, the glyph shatters and the comet fades back to nothingness. My enemy looks as confused as I am when his destructive magic fails him, but he quickly composes himself.

"This is the end.." He growls.

Caius launches himself towards me with his sword curled over his shoulder, ready to slash me in half. I quickly bring my blade hand up, but there is nothing there.. When the glyph was destroyed I lost my focus and my weapon never came to me.. Was a simple mistake going to be my undoing? I close my eyes and accept the inevitable... The sound of steel on steel echos through the timeless city..

"What happened to 'For better or worse, you're stuck with me'?" Says a voice I never expected to hear again.

"Cloud!?" I gasp when my eyes see the man I love stood between me and Caius with his sword held high.

"You dropped this.." He says, taking out my survival knife from his pocket with his left hand and holding it back to me.

"You would have a delivery boy fight your battles for you, warrior Goddess?" Caius questions in disgust.

 **A/N: How was that?...**

 **I was genuinely surprised that you all wanted to keep Noel. My mothers favorite saying turned out to be true. Assumption is the mother of all fuck ups lol. But alas, this is a democracy not a dictatorship so I will make it all work. Started replaying the game again yesterday. I fear I may have to break the seal off my limited edition guide book so I can get everything right and not miss anything in the worlds most complicated story. On a brighter note. My new ff13-2 Lighting play arts Kai figure turned up today so I'm in a very good mood =D**

 **As you may have noticed, I have changed (Butchered) some things, like how Lightning and Mog met, but it's not too far off and doesn't really effect the story. Just bare in mind it won't (can't) be a carbon copy, story wise.**

 **Thank you all for the reviews. This story is really starting to build a following and I'm glad everyone is enjoying it so far. Hope you enjoyed this chapter.**

 **Wolf**


	35. Clash of the Guardians

**Cloud's POV**

My eyes shoot open, but I'm still drowning in the depths of an ocean. No.. Not an ocean.. This was the lifestream.. I see a faint green light shining from above and kick as hard as my energy sapped body would allow, but before I get anywhere near the surface, the mako makes me start to hallucinate. I see Claire laying on the cold stone floor of Nibelheim mansion with Hojo stood over her. He raises a rod in the air, ready to strike her. I put my hand out and scream to stop, but my palm meets cold glass instantly. _I was in the mako tank?_ I turn to my right to find a man in the tank next to me. It was the same man Sephiroth showed me.. _I know you.._

The vision ends as my fingertips pierce the water's surface, moments before my head, and I'm allowed to take my first, life giving breath. I cough up water as my eyes make sense of where I am. I've seen a vast array of cultures and civilizations on my journey across Gaia, but this place.. It was not of my world. I swim to the blackened shore, growing in strength with every breath, until my feet find the dark sand. Deep rumbles and explosions drag my gaze up to the largest building in the center of the dull, stone city, which has a glowing green structure that snakes around it's two stone towers.

I race towards the building, unsure what I would find, but at the very least it would make for a great vantage point. It dawns on me as I sprint through the streets that the whole city seems to be abandoned. There was no glass in the windows or any sort of furnishings inside the ornate stone boxes. The rumbles seem to stop for a moment as I notice something shining atop the roof on the base of the temple's two peaks. The figure moves, vanquishing the glimmer of light to reveal flowing pink locks.

"...Claire..." I mutter, as I cast big guard on myself to make use of the haste ability.

I make my way up through the temple's many floors as fast as my legs would allow, when I see a purple light, which shines through the windowless openings along the temple's walls. In ornate crystal throne catches my eye, but I give it no more than a passing glance. Rushing behind it, I step onto a large, open balcony that has opaque drapes which hang loosely from the stone roof. From here, I see the source of the purple light. A strange pattern lights up the sky, and I feel the energy in the air building. Without thinking, my hand finds my comet materia and I call upon it's power, hoping that it would work in this strange world.

To my surprise, it does, and the purple symbol shatters into tiny shards of crystal as I scale the wall. I lift myself onto the roof, just in time to see a man with long, purple hair, recoil a sinister looking sword over his shoulder and launch himself at a weaponless Claire. What this fight was about was of no concern to me, nobody will take her away from me.. Not again.. I throw myself between them as I draw my sword, parrying his slash away from Claire.

"What happened to, 'For better or worse, you're stuck with me'?" I ask, remembering her words at Cosmo Canyon as if they where yesterday.

"Cloud!?" She gasps in disbelief.

"You dropped this..." I say, using my left hand to pull out her survival knife and hold it out to her, while still keeping my eyes on the sinister looking man.

"You would have a delivery boy fight your battles for you, warrior Goddess?" The man mocks. "And who is it that meddles where he does not belong?"

"I belong right here.. Right between Claire and anything that means to do her harm.." I say defiantly.

"How very noble of you.. But you're chivalry will be your undoing!" He roars, slashing at me in anger.

I block his attack with the buster sword and kick the man in the chest, sending him sliding across the roof. He fires spheres of dark energy at me, but in an attempt at psychological warfare, I stand my ground and let the balls of energy strike me, exploding around the big guard's shield and causing me no harm. I smile when the smoke disperses and I see the smug look on the man's face fade slightly.

"There is great power resonating from your heart.. But like yourself, it is alien to this land.. In order to preserve the time line, I must eradicate you from it.."

"Come and try.." I say confidently, spurred on by being reunited with Claire.

This time, I don't wait for him to attack, and launch bolt after bolt of lightning at the man as I take slow, confident steps towards him. He jumps back, just in time to watch the last bolt of electricity scar the ground in front of him, but I'm far from finished. I cast Beta on the man, but he vanishes before my eyes, and the blistering heat is left to envelope nothing more than air. I look around in disbelief, trying to locate him, to no avail.

"Look out!" Claire shouts.

I spin on my heels and slash, blocking the man's demonic looking sword just in time as my blade locks into him.

"I have lived for over a thousand years.. And yet, in time's last breaths, I find two fine warriors blocking my path.. But you.. You're different.." He says, locking his strange, lilac iris' onto mine. "Even Yeul has not foreseen your coming.."

"I don't know what you're saying, but for as long as I have breath in my lungs, so will she.." I growl as Claire rushes to my side with sword drawn.

"...Cloud.. How did you? Are you.. Dead?.." She starts to ask, but our enemy has other plans.

The man raises his hand into the air, summoning up debris from the ground below with Godly power, and hurls them towards us. I cut through the large stone wall that flies at us as Claire fires upon the man, who uses the gravity defying bits of buildings to absorb the damage. I point to the left, silently ordering the pinkette to flank right; which she does hesitantly, as I'm bombarded with rubble. The remaining life of my shield holds up the momentous weight off me while I use the time to take a breath. Through the cracks, I watch the man shift his gaze from the pile of rubble I was buried under to Claire. With him distracted, I burst from the wreckage and send a beam of bright blue light from my sword, which hits the man, and sends him off the roof.

I run to the edge and look down as he falls through the roof of an adjacent building, but I'm not satisfied with my victory. I pull out a materia I had not used since it's discovery, and for a second, I'm brought back to Gogonga, where I hid in the darkness of a ruined reactor, with my hand on the pinkette's waist.. Scalding myself for lowering my guard, I summon Titan; who's roar can be heard from inside the damaged building that the man had fell through. Monstrous hands burst through the walls of the building, pulling it down around my summon and his victim, until all that remains is dust.

"Claire!" I shout as I rush over to her.

I can barely contain the tears of joy as my arms wrap around the cold, ornate armour she wore and I press my lips onto hers. If this moment could last forever, it still would not be long enough.

"I don't understand... How did you find me?" Claire sniffs, pulling herself away.

"Aeris found you.. I'm here to take you back.." I explain.

"I- I can't go.. Not yet.." She relies, looking down in shame.

"Why!?"

"Hojo.. He's sent me back for a reason.. To do even more damage to this time line that I had originally. I'm trying to fix it, but I can do little from here.." She explains. "I sent my sister on a mission to fix the time line, but I fear I've sent her to her death.. Please Cloud, bring her back to me.."

"I won't leave you!" I shout.

"I can handle things here.. If Serah dies, we could all die.." Claire mutters. "Please..."

"...Okay.." I finally surrender to her request. "What do I have to do?"

"At the base of this temple is a time gate. You can use it to find Serah. I've already sent someone to help her, but there's nobody I trust more than you.." She smiles as she hands me her knife back. "This will help you use the gate below.. Take it with the promise that you'll come back to me.."

"I promise.." I nod, feeling heartbroken that our reunion was so short. "Who was that, anyway?"

"Caius Ballad." She answers.

The sound of rubble exploding below signaled Caius' victory over my summon, and within second's he's back on top of the temple roof.

"I love you.." She says softly, before kissing me. "Now go!"

"A final kiss goodbye.. How romantic.." Caius mocks. "We shall meet again... Cloud.."

I break away from her hesitantly and cast a barrier on the pinkette, determined to help her in some small way. Taking a final look at the woman I loved, I make my way down through the temple, despite my heart roaring at me to turn around. Despite every violent eruption above me begging my already hesitant body to turn around, I finally make it to the base of the temple, where a strange golden device awaits me. It resembles a massive, metallic tear drop, but there is definitely something magical about it. In truth, I have no idea how it works, but I stretch out the hand holding Claire's survival knife, and touch it to the gate.

 **Serah's POV**

"Lightning... She was fighting..." I mutter as I slowly open my eyes. "I guess it was just a dream... Such a strange dream..."

I remain in bed, sitting on the borders of sleep and consciousness for a moment as I try to replay the blurred images I saw in my dreams. It was Lightning.. She was fighting in a place I've never seen before. I see her speaking to a boy with brown hair and clothes like Fang.. The image fades, but not before a set of glowing, cerulean eyes flash in the darkness, snapping me awake with a bang.

"What? What was that?" I panic as the ground shakes and light bursts through the gaps in the blinds.

I jump out of bed, but what catches my eye first was not the commotion outside, but the strange clothes that I'm wearing. I study them briefly, but they're definitely not mine, and I don't remember falling asleep in them. The noise outside begins to grow louder, so I head out of my bedroom to see what was going on. I walk through the Nora bar, realizing something was wrong when the usually busy bar was silent. Quickly heading outside to find Gadot, something strange happens, and everything I know seems to fade away in the shadows and wisps of black smoke that fill a now dead shore.

"This place... It's like the world has ended.." I say sheepishly as I slowly walk around. "Is this what's going to happen to us? But why?!"

I drop to my knees in terror, almost in tears, as I call out to the shadows to take me back home. To my relief, I see Gadot appear, then the rest of the villagers, but something is still wrong. It's like they're frozen.. Frozen in battle with a hoard of monsters that are attacking the village. Then, in a blink of an eye, time continues and the sound of gunfire fills the beach.

"Gadot!" I shout.

"Serah, come on!" He shouts, waving me over.

I watch everyone rush back over to the Nora house, but something terrifying appears over it. A portal opens and a huge, being that looks like a Fal'cie starts to emerge from the darkness. Everyone fires at it, but all I can do is watch; frozen in fear. A monster appears from nothing, blocking my path to the others, and I back away slowly, as the fear consumes me.

"No. Please, no..." I beg, stumbling back over another monster corpse and falling to the ground. "Lightning, help me!" I scream, in a final act of desperation.

For a moment, I thought my sister hand answered my prayers, when bullets burst through the monster, pushing it back from me and eventually killing it. But when I turn around it was not her. It was Lebreau; who charges towards me with her gun blazing.

"Get a hold of yourself!" She roars at me, pulling me up. "Lightning can't protect you anymore! You have to look after yourself now! Do you hear me? Your sister's dead! She can't help you!" She continues, before something throws her across the beach.

"Lebreau!" I shout as more monsters prowl around me, but are shot down from the sky.

"You want her!" I hear a voice I did not recognize. "Then you're gonna have to go through me!"

My eyes shoot up to see my rescuer, and to my shock it was the man who I saw in my dream. It was definitely him.. He reminded me of Fang, and I was positive he was a hunter from Pulse. He jumps down, landing at my feet as he looks at me with warm blue eyes.

"Get up, Serah." He says bluntly.

"You where in my dream. I saw you." I tell him, ignoring his request.

"Save it for later." He says, holding out a strange bow. "Can you fight?"

"If I have to.." I reply, nervously taking the weapon.

"You're gonna have to." He tells me, turning away to face the monsters. "One more thing... Don't ever lay down and wait to die!"

He takes the sword from his back and charges into battle; and for a moment all I do is watch at how efficiently he cuts down the monsters. My eyes turn to the weight in my hand and I look down on it with a mixture of worry and determination. If I want to be strong like Lightning, I'm going to have to fight.. I grip the black handle with my left hand and slide two fingers of my right into the holes at the base of the grip. The tension in the cables is quite hard to pull back, but with a little strain, the bow is ready to fire. My eyes fall on a monster that's approaching the brunette man from behind, so I take aim and fire, killing the monster. I almost feel sadness for the creature, who lays limp on the ground. I had never killed anything before..

In less than a few minutes, the last monster fell, and the soft sound of the sea washing up on the golden sand returned. The whole beach was littered with the corpses of monsters, but I'm left looking at the disappearing sun that is slowly sinking into the horizon. Lebreau is carried to the Nora house by the mysterious hunter, but it's Maqui who snaps me from my trance.

"Hey, Serah! Are you okay?" He asks.

"Hmm." I nod, before he's called away to the eastern side of shore, where most of the armed townspeople are stood in a group, listening to Gadot talk about a meteorite. Not wanting to be alone, I return to the hunter, who places Lebreau on the grass outside the Nora house.

"She took a hit, but she's gonna be fine. She just needs some rest." He says softly.

"Thank goodness.." I sigh. "And thank you.. Whoever you are.."

"Noel. Noel Kreiss." He smiles, pointing his thumb at himself.

"Okay.." I reply, still having no idea who he actually was.

"Oh.. And before I forget.. It wasn't just me. You should probably thank this little guy too." He adds, pointing to my bow.

I frown at Noel, confused as to why he was talking about an inanimate object like it was alive. At first I thought it was just something a warrior does.. I remember how happy Lightning was when she was entrusted with her Blazefire saber from the Guardian Corps, and how she looked after it like a faithful companion. Right now though, I couldn't have been more wrong.. The bow shoots out of my hand and vanishes in a puff of smoke, which fades to reveal a toy moogle.

"Wow! Is that a toy moogle?" I ask, earning a shake of the head from the cute little creature that wielded a tiny staff with a clock on the top.

"He's supposed to be your good luck charm. Your sister gave him to me." Noel answers, not realizing just how much hope his words gave me.

"Wait! You know Lightning?!" I question, catching the little moogle in my arms and stepping closer to the man.

"She's the one who told me to come here."

"Where? Where did you see her?" I continue to interrogate. "Was it... Valhalla?"

"Yeah. How'd you guess?" He replies, looking surprised that I knew.

"I saw it in a dream.. I saw my sister talking to you.. Then the meteorite came.."

"And dragged me along with it. I guess." Noel sighs.

"Do you mean, you actually rode here on that meteorite?"

"Maybe, I don't know.. Damned if I can remember. Why don't we go and check it out?"

"Okay." I say with enthusiasm, following Noel down the beach.

 _Now I know for sure. Lightning is alive. She's in a place called Valhalla._

 **Tifa's POV**

"Huh..." I mutter as a bight light shines in my slowly opening eyes. "The glare.."

"You'll be better soon.. You've been asleep for a long time.." Barret's voice says softly, filling me with comfort.

"I'm... hungry..." I mumble to Barret, when I feel my stomach tightening painfully.

"Why don't you ask.. About him?"

"...Because I'm scared.." I answer, finally finding the strength to sit up.

"Don't worry... I don't know what happened to Cloud either." He tells me. "I guess I shouldn't tell you not to worry.."

"But he's... Alive.. Right?" I ask, praying for a nod at least. "How long was I asleep?" I say, realizing he couldn't answer my question.

"Lessee now... Must've been about seven days.."

"What about Sephiroth?" I continue, hoping for some good news.

"You ain't over it yet? Remember that huge light in the cave? Since then, the crater's been surrounded by a huge barrier of light. Everyone knows Sephiroth sleeps in that big hole, protected by the barrier. We can't do a damn thing about it.." Barret sighs. "And on top of that, some huge monster's called weapon are on the rampage."

"Weapon?" I frown.

"They say they're some legendary monsters from the past. Rufus is fightin' them now. I hate to say it, but he's got guts."

"...Hey, what about meteor?"

Barret says nothing, but walks over to the windows and presses a button, which opens the metallic shutters to reveal my worst nightmare. Meteor, glowing red like death hung in the sky, dwarfing the moon. There was no hope for us now.. I just stare at it for a moment, but the sound of the door sliding open turns my attention to Rufus.

"I thought Cloud would show up and save you all..." He says, almost disappointed. "Professor Hojo wanted to check up on Cloud too.."

"What are you going to do with Cloud?" I demand.

"...Sephiroth's alter ego... Meteor has been summoned.. Essentially, it's all but over now.." Rufus explains. "There's an important task I have for you.."

"President! Preparations for the public execution are complete!" Heidegger laughs when he walks into the room.

"Execution!?" Barret roars. "What'ya gonna get by executin' us?!"

"You're going to be executed for causing this situation. People are ignorant.. They'll feel better as long as someone is punished.." Rufus says coldly. "Enjoy your last moments together.."

 **Cid's POV (Lower Junon)**

"Alright, listen up numbskulls! Every news station on the plant is gonna be filmin' Barret an Tifa's execution! Let's go fuck up their TV ratings!" I bark. "As your fearless leader, I've come up with a plan!"

"Who the hell made you leader!? Tifa left Vincent and Nanaki in charge!" Yuffie shouts at me.

"As I have explained before.. The most handsome and intelligent one is always the leader. And as the pretty boy ain't here, the fact that I'm a rocket scientist and am undeniably handsome means it can only be me.. Now listen up.. With those weapons on the rampage, Shinra will have dropped us down on their list of priorities.. We're gonna infiltrate upper Junon and get them back!"

"Since when have you ever wanted to help anyone, Cid?" Yuffie continues to question me.

"Barret is my friend and Tifa makes the best cup of tea out of you useless bunch!" I shout at her. "Cat! You wanna prove to us that you're not with those murderous Shinra bastards?"

"What do you want me to do?" The cat asks.

"Need you and the twerp to get some credentials off news reporters and film crew. They should be passing through the lower town to get to the lift. Make em disappear and take their place."

"Why us?" Yuffie continues to question my master plan.

"Because it's the most dangerous, and I'd loose less sleep if you two got shot."

"HEY!" The cat and the twerp shout.

"And what about us?" Nanaki asks with an uncertain tone.

"You and Vince are coming with me up there." I tell them as I point to the runway that hung over our heads. "We're gonna secure MY damn airship. That'll get us out of there and a means to travel quickly."

"What of Shinra's Glenikas?" Vincent finally speaks.

"They'll never catch the Highwind, but if we get the chance then we'll sabotage them." I answer.

"Very well.." He nods, satisfied with my answer.

 **Serah's POV**

"You said you met my sister. What did she look like? What was she wearing?" I continue to question as we make our way to the meteor.

"She was covered by silver armour decorated by feathers. She looked just like a Goddess from a fairytale.."

"Just like in my dream! Maybe you really did meet her." I smile.

We continue on, making our way over the grass covered rocks that sheltered our small town from the wind. I eventually catch up to Noel, who's having no problem with the gentle climb, but as we reach the peak of the hill, he stops dead and stares into the distance. I look around cautiously, wondering if he has spotted an enemy in the distance, but it soon becomes apparent that it's Cocoon that he's staring at.

"Not used to seeing Cocoon, huh?" I ask.

"No. Well actually, this is the first time I've ever seen it." He answers.

"The first time? You can't be serious. Like, the first time you've seen it from the outside?"

He doesn't answer me, and instead keeps on walking with his eyes fixated on the crystallized gem that I once called home. We continue on in silence; and I use the time to daydream about my reunion with Lightning. No matter what comes our way, she always finds her way back to me. If that dream was a message from Lightning, then it's my turn to find her...

"Serah! Still in one piece? We're seein' lots of unfriendly critters around that meteorite." Gadot tell me after jumping from his vantage point. Oho.. Who's this?"

"This is Noel. He helped Lebreau and me out of a tight spot." I explain.

"Is that right.." Snow's best friend says, squaring up to Noel, who was half his size. "I'm Gadot."

"Okay, take it easy, big guy." Noel says in an attempt to calm the situation. "I am not here to make trouble for anyone."

"You better not. Anything happens to Serah and the boss'll string your carcass out to dry."

"The boss? Who's that?" The hunter asks, this time it was him who stepped up to Gadot.

"He ain't here right now!" He answers sheepishly, before jogging off. _I wish he was..._

Noel doesn't press me about 'The Boss' and continues to the meteorite, which can just be seen over the horizon. It was not like I had expected at all. I thought it would have been a dull rock, but it was made of crystal and rippled with a golden energy. Both of us where fixated on it as we started to run, but as we get closer, the sight of Cocoon vanishing from the night sky stops us.

"Cocoon is gone!" Noel shouts in shock. "Let's get to the meteor."

We reach the crater of the meteorite, and time starts to distort and shift. It makes me a little queasy watching the scenery around me ripple and contort, but it soon settles, leaving behind a desolate wasteland.

"What is this place? Noel, do you know?" I ask.

"Yeah." He sighs, with a pain filled tone. "You're looking at a different time.. That's the world I come from. In my world, Cocoon doesn't exist. When I was born, the sky was already empty.. Tell me, how many years has it been since Cocoon fell?"

"Well, it's 3AF. So, that was three years ago.." I answer.

"For me... That happened seven hundred years in the past..." Noel says, looking at the empty sky.

"Yes.. I knew it.. I knew you weren't from this world." I tell him, airing my suspicions.

"I'm the last of humanity..."

"HEY!" I hear Gadot shout as he marches over to us with a brutish stomp.

"Serah. I can take you there. We can find Lightning together. I know she wants to see you." Noel says quickly, wanting to get his point across before Gadot and the others had their say.

"You're full of it!" Snow's oldest friend roars as he grabs Noel by his neck, pushing him away from me.

"Yeah, Lightning's gone, man!" Maqui adds, fueling Gadot's anger.

"Gadot.." I say calmly as I separate the two of them. "Noel.. Do you know where my sister is?"

"Come with me." He says bluntly, but before I can agree, he takes me by the wrist and pulls me over to the meteorite. He places my hand on it's warm surface and light radiated from it until it's too much to look at. We both step back and wait for the light to fade, and when it does, all of us gasp in amazement. "You see? It's a time gate. It's like a portal. Lightning is in a place called Valhalla. She's waiting on the other side."

I couldn't turn my eyes away. I knew the answer lay beyond that gate. The answer to my doubts and dreams. On the broad plain beneath Cocoon, my sister once celebrated my marriage to Snow. I remember her smile like it was yesterday.. But sometime, when I wasn't looking, she disappeared. She was gone as if she had never been there in the first place. Lightning, are you out there? Did I dream that day on Pulse, or did it really happen? Noel says he can find you. But is he telling the truth?

After a heated debate, I agree to sleep on my decision, and we all head back to the Nora house, where Noel tells us more about his past. His world was a terrible place where Cocoon did not exist. He had traveled back in time to change that bleak future. Or so he told us..

"Listen, when different era's overlap, all kinds of crazy stuff happens. Objects from different times get mixed up. If you want to open a gate and travel through time, you have to find one of those objects. They're called artifacts." Noel explains to us all.

"Artifacts?" I ask, still unsure what he meant.

"They are like keys to the future." He answers me with a smile. "They're anachronisms, relics of a different world. Basically, things that don't belong in your time. If we find one, we might be able to use it to open the gate. Then we could cross time and travel to Lightning's world."

Could Noel be telling the truth? Beyond that gate, in a place called Valhalla.. Is Lightning alive and waiting for me? Can I dare to hope again, after all this time? Oh, how I want to believe. I want my sister back!

With Gadot being as stubborn as ever, I decide to call it a night; promising him that I'll think long and hard before I come to a decision. Despite his anger towards Noel, he allows him to stay, and sleep in the bar, sheltered from the elements. It took me hours to get to sleep, and even when my eyes had lost their battle, my mind raced with possibilities. Snow had been gone for years, looking for my sister.. Could Noel really take me straight to her?

I wake up as soon as the sun breaks over the horizon, and I climb out of bed, stretching as I yawn. Like every morning, the smell of Lebreau's breakfast drags me out of my room. Noel was the first person I saw when I left my bedroom. I was up really early, but I guess for a hunter, the day starts before the sun.. Walking past him, I pace down the steps of the bar and onto the beach, letting the first of the morning's rays warm my skin.

"Serah, wait up for me." I hear the hunter say as he rushes down the beach towards me, with Mog on his tail.

"All this talk about artifacts and gates and time travel... To be honest, I don't know if I'm ready to believe it..." I tell him truthfully, after a night of mulling over Gadot's words.

"Serah. There's still so much I don't understand myself. But if we can actually find an artifact, then I'll know what I've been saying is true.. And once we open the gate, you'll be able to put some of your doubts to rest as well.. So.. What do you think?" He asks hopefully. "Will you search for the answers with me?"

"HELP!" I hear Lebreau scream from the bar before I could answer.

Noel rushes inside the bar with his sword drawn, eager to help despite them doubting him, and I race after him with Mog. I see Gadot and the others run down the beach, towards the house, hearing her screams too. Lebreau sprints out of the bar as Noel rushes up the stairs, knocking him over and sending them both into the sand. I almost break into a smile at her clumsiness, but a figure moving through the bar catches my eye. Lebreau quickly climbs to her feet and stands behind me and Noel, who is holding his swords out, ready to attack.

The figure steps forward, onto the first step of the bar and out of the shadows. He wore a strange black uniform, and on his back was a huge sword. His hair was blonde and spiked, but it was his eyes that I was drawn to.. He looked at me with the brightest blue eyes I had ever seen. Are they actually glowing? His stoic expression fades when his eyes fall on me, as he takes another step.

"Serah?" He asks. "You need to come with me."

"You're not taking her anywhere!" Gadot roars, rushing past Noel and throwing a punch at the man.

To all of our shock, the man who was half the size of Gadot, catches his punch effortlessly and squeezes, dropping my friend to his knees. Noel goes to his rescue, slashing at the blonde man, who moves like lightning; managing to draw his huge sword and block the hunter's attack effortlessly. With a single move, the man had smashed Noel's sword out of his hand, and rested the tip of his own inches from his neck.

"Stop!" I beg, and much to my surprise, he lowers his weapon.

"You look just like your sister.." The blonde man smiles.

 **A/N: Man there was a lot of talking in that chapter.. I've only just realized after playing it yet again that ff13-2 is just hours of talking and ten minutes of combat lol. Anyway...**

 **I don't mind Noel, I was just shocked that everyone seemed to like him so much. Who I do love is Caius. His voice is awesome, his poetic way of speaking is awesome, and his 'theme music' is also epic. He really is up there with Sephiroth for me (Although according to Nomura, Caius is in fact the strongest of all ff bad guys)...**

 **You fight Caius a couple of times, so I'm looking forward to writing a long battle scene for him and Cloud, as this one was more of an introduction. I'm glad you liked Cloud and Aeris' conversation, and something Caius says in one of his battles gives me a really good idea about Cloud and Aeris, but you'll have to wait and see ;P (Guest)... Lumina, I got the general story about Mog from the book online 'Episode I'. I finally found an english copy and ordered it. It's coming from Canada so it will apparently be a week or two before I get it, but I'm glad I've finally found a copy.**


	36. Hostile Relations

**Cloud's POV**

When I stepped through the gate, I didn't know where I'd end up, and to be honest, I didn't care. My brief reunion with Claire had not gone as I'd hoped, and now I had been sent to a world I do not understand, to search for her sister. I do understand though. I had only known Claire for about a month, but she talked about her sister often, and how much she meant to her. If I could get Serah back to Claire, maybe they would both come with me...

" _You're afraid?"_

"Aeris?!" I gasp, hearing her voice again in the darkness of the portal. "...Yes.. I'm afraid of failing.."

" _But why?"_ She asks.

"If something happens to Serah.. Or Claire... What if I can't protect them?" I ask her.

" _Have you always, consciously tried your hardest to protect the ones you love?"_

"Of course." I answer, not sure I'm following her conversation. "But what if that's not enough?"

" _A clear conscious fears nothing.. Hold out your hand."_

I don't understand what she was trying to tell me, but I do as she asks and hold out my hand. I feel water pour into my palm and I attempt to cup it, but nothing spills over anyway. Instead it solidifies into a small, pale green marble. _Aeris' white materia?_

"I don't understand.." I speak into the darkness, but I get no response.

Amber light slowly returns with my vision, until I eventually see that I'm floating through a corridor of metallic rings that spin slowly in a sea of fiery clouds. For a moment I thought I was getting sent to hell, but from an early age, I had learned that the demons you should really fear walk amongst us. I gently sail through the strange rings until I'm met with an ornate mirror. My hands grip the frame as I'm about to crash into it, but my gentle speed stops me. I look into my own eyes for a moment, until my reflection fades and I'm staring into a bedroom. Taking an uneasy step, I walk through the mirror's frame, finding solid ground on the other side.

I only manage a single step into this new world, when I'm met with a dark haired woman, who walks into the doorway of the room. I quickly evaluate her, realizing in an instant that it wasn't Serah. She wore next to nothing, and had an air of confidence about her, but as I take a step forward, that confidence is shattered and she lets out a scream.

"HELP!" She screams before rushing away.

I walk out of the room after her, hoping to calm the woman down. She must have had the fright of her life finding a strange man in her bedroom. Within a few steps, I was outside of the bedroom and into what looked like a bar. The young woman rushes down the stairs, knocking over a man, who I notice is holding a sword; presumably to come to her aid. He quickly gets back to his feet and stands his ground at the base of the steps which lead to a sandy beach. I slowly walk out, stopping at the top of the steps, still with my hands down and my weapon on my back. That's when I see her.. Stood behind the swordsman was Serah.. She looked just like Claire..

"Serah? You need to come with me." I say, offering up a hand. Although she was like Claire in looks, she was smaller and had an air of innocence and purity about her. She held a bow, which was aimed straight at me, but her hands where trembling. She was not the hardened warrior her sister is..

"You're not taking her anywhere!" A dark skinned man with an orange mohawk roars as he rushes past the others and throws a punch at me.

I catch his fist with ease and harden my expression as I squeeze the bones in his hand tightly, bringing him to his knees. The brute submits to my strength but the swordsman comes to his aid, slashing at me with his weapon. His form was good, but I was far quicker, allowing me to draw my sword and smash his out of his hand with the force. Disarmed, I place the tip of the buster sword against his throat, eager to stem his will to continue.

"Stop!" Serah pleads, and I do as she wishes.

"You look just like your sister..." I say softly, smiling at her.

"..You know my sister?" She asks me sheepishly.

"Yes." I nod, not wanting to delve into details.

"This is getting ridiculous!" The dark skinned brute shouts as he nurses his sore fist. "Now there's two con artists!"

"Prove to me that you know Lightning." She says, taking a step towards me.

"Lightning? You don't call her Claire?" I ask, curious as to why even someone as close as her sister wouldn't call her by her name.

"You know her name!?... I didn't think she told anybody her real name..." The young pinkette says, almost sounding disappointed.

"That's no proof!" The brunette woman shouts, backing away slightly as she does.

"By the look on half of your faces, none of you knew her real name.." I snap back, annoyed at having to explain myself to strangers. "She gave me this.. It was a birthday gift from you, Serah." I say, pulling out the survival knife and handing it to her.

"There's only two ways you would have that knife.." She says with worry. "You're either telling me the truth, or you've killed her.."

"Why would I kill someone I- Listen.. I don't have time for this.. Cla- Lightning.. told me to bring you to her.. If I have to drag you there kicking and screaming I will.."

"Funny.. She told me the same thing.." The swordsman says, stepping in front of the pinkette.

"You're the one she sent first?" I ask.

"Yeah, Noel Kriess. And it's only been a day.. Hardly time to be sending the cavalry.. Who are you, anyway?" He questions.

"Cloud."

"Real manly.." The brute sniggers.

"What does that say about you then?" I spit back, silencing him and prizing a faint smile from the others. "So, are we going then?"

"I have questions.." She tells me.

"Walk and talk." I reply, heading back to the bedroom.

I walk back through the bar, and to my relief, I hear footsteps following me. Soon I would be back in Valhalla, and Claire would come home with me.. A smile erupts on my face, but is quickly vanquished when I walk into the bedroom, which no longer contains a mirror.

"The mirror!? Serah, the mirror on this wall; where is it?" I point frantically.

"There was never a mirror on that wall.." She frowns at me.

It was there just a few minutes ago, and the room was empty. Nobody could have possibly got past me unnoticed, yet it wasn't here.. The sinking feeling that this seemingly simple task was about to get much more complicated dampens my spirits, and I can't help but wonder how long Claire could hold her own against Caius.

"There's a time gate on the outskirts of town." Serah tells me, pulling me from my dread. "I'll tell you where it is if you tell me how you know my sister."

"She ended up my world.. I rescued her from a mako tank in Shinra's laboratories. I thought she was a goner.. But she recovered from the poisoning and came with me on my journey.. We were on our way to stop Sephiroth, but Claire was.. taken away.."

 **Serah's POV**

I had no idea what he was saying, but there was no denying the emotion in his voice; no matter how hard he tried to conceal it. My head was flooded with the information the two men had told me in the past twenty four hours, and little made sense. All I know is they both could prove beyond question that they had at least seen Lightning.. They where both polar opposites of each other, and I have the feeling that they are going to clash if I decide to go with them. Noel was kind and understanding, but this man.. I was scared of him..

"I don't know what any of that is.. Noel, is it something from the future?" I ask the hunter.

"Nothing rings a bell." He answers.

"You misunderstand. I'm not from the past or the future.. I'm from the other side of the universe." Cloud tells us. "Now, shall we?"

"...Yes." I nod, surprising myself as much as anybody else when the words escape my lips.

"Lead the way.." The blonde smiles.

The three of us set off back towards the meteorite, which turned out to be a time gate. On the way, Noel told me stories about his world and asked me questions about my own, eager to learn. Cloud on the other hand remained silent, but I knew he was listening to every word. Although he scares me, I don't think that he's a bad person, and I try my best to make him open up to me.

"So, Cloud.. Tell me about yourself. What has your last few years been like?" I ask him.

"Not interested." He says, turning his gaze to the ground.

"I think you touched a nerve.." Noel Jokes in an attempt to lighten the mood.

The second the mystical, golden gate comes into view, Cloud picks up the pace, passing us without so much as a glance. His hands touch the metallic gate as soon as he reaches it; as if to check that it was actually real. He turns with a victorious smile when we catch up, but from what Noel told me, we needed a key to use the time gate. I'm almost too scared to tell him, but Noel takes the burden from me.

"You forgetting something?" Noel asks suspiciously, crossing his arms as he waits for a response.

"Hmm?" Cloud hums.

"You need an artifact to open the gate."

"Serah has it." The blonde answers, causing me and Noel to turn to each other in confusion. "The knife. I think Claire did something to it. I used it to get from Valhalla to here. Try it on the gate."

I look to Noel for advice, but he just gives me a reassuring nod, so I grip the knife in my hand tightly, and touch it to the golden frame of the time gate. The frame shifts and widens, and an orb of dark energy pours from the device. I step back, away from it, quickly finding my back hitting something solid. Turning around, I find Cloud; who places a hand on my shoulder and breaks his stoic expression to smile.

"Let's go see your sister." He says softly.

Giving him a nervous nod, I take a step forward, into the energy that spills from the device. I feel myself get sucked into the gate, but Cloud's hand never leaves my shoulder. When my senses return, I find myself floating through a tunnel of rings, which keep out the energy around us that glows amber. Cloud releases my shoulder as the metallic feel of my bow vanishes and Mog returns to my side.

"This is incredible!" I gasp, enjoying the weightless feel.

"It's the Historia Crux. The crossroads of the time continuum." Noel tells us.

"So this was how you could travel back in time from the future?" I ask.

"Right." He nods. "Now it's your turn."

The vision fades, and I feel gravity's effects quickly take over my body. I drop quickly as my vision returns, and my boots quickly find a hard surface. Looking back, I find Noel, Cloud and Mog right behind me, but it was the blonde's face that I was drawn to. He looked so disappointed in where we had landed. We where stood in the middle of the ruined town of Bresha, some time in the future.

"This is Cocoon!" I say, quickly noticing the land above us, which was unique to Cocoon's internal construction.

"Really? Are you sure?" Noel says in disbelief.

"Yeah, check it out." I say, pointing to the sky. "You can see the ground above us."

"Wow. So this is how Cocoon looks from the inside." He relies, taking in the view.

"That's right, I forgot. This is your first time here. And you, Cloud."

"This isn't Valhalla.." Cloud sighs. Even at a glance, I could see the bitterness in his expression. "...I knew it was too good to be true.."

"What's wrong?" I ask, stopping in front of him.

"I wanted to get back to Valhalla.." He sighs.

"Nobody want's to go to Valhalla. It's the realm of death." Noel tells him.

"But it's not Valhalla you want to see, is it?" I press the blonde, but he does not respond and walks past me.

We only manage two steps away from the gate when a huge, metallic hand rises from a fenced off hole in the ground. We watch it ascend high into the sky before flailing around and smashing into the ruins. We run away form the falling pillars and bricks, but the huge arm turns it's attention to us and swings towards me. Just before it's about to swat me like a fly, I feel myself get tackled to the ground. When I'm finally able to lift myself up, I see Noel, shielding me from harm.

"Get up!" He shouts, taking my hand and pulling me to my feet.

"A giant hand?!" I shout.

"Yeah, and it's not looking to shake hands!" Noel adds, drawing his weapon.

The arm comes our way again, but with a wall behind us, there's no way to escape the sweeping attack. Not able to do anything but brace myself, I grip Mog tightly for comfort. A black shadow drops down in front of us, and I quickly see that it's Cloud. He glows with a fiery blue aura as the metallic palm comes down on him. I wince as the hand strikes him, pushing his boots into the paved floor, but he remains steady, and pushes back on the hand.

"Move! I can't hold it for long!" He strains.

"Right!" Noel nods. "Come on Serah, let's teach this thing a lesson."

Mog turns into my bow as me and Noel race from under the arm. For the first time, I notice the rest of the invisible humanoid figure that the grey and blue arm is attached to. The light shines through it's body, distorting whatever was behind it just enough to work out it's shape. I start to shoot at the strange enemy, damaging it enough to turn it's attention from Cloud to me. It bats the blonde into an already broken pillar, but Noel jumps onto it's now open palm and runs up it's arm before the massive hand has time to close on him. I watch as he takes a leap of faith with both swords held high above his head, and slashed down on where he thought the rest of the enemy would be.

"An invisible giant!" The hunter shouts as he lands back on the ground next to me.

"Cloud! Are you okay?!" I shout, when I see him burst from a pile of bubble.

He gives me a nod and dusts himself off when gunfire erupts above us. I look up, quickly seeing a small fleet of army ships heading towards the invisible giant. They riddle the monster with bullets, sending the metallic arm back to it's rest. Relief washes over me as Cloud makes his way back to my and Noel, looking as happy as ever. I wave to the nearest ship in thanks, but it's guns turn on us as a bunch of soldiers converge with their weapons drawn.

"Serah, just stay behind me.." Cloud mutters with a sinister tone.

"Attention, intruders! Surrender, immediately!" A soldier says over the airship's intercom.,

Mog hides behind me as Noel and I put our hands up in the air. Cloud on the other hand looks like he's ready to attack. I know this is all just a misunderstanding, but the blonde seems to have no intention of finding a peaceful solution. When I see his body begin to glow again, I know that I have to say anything.

"Cloud.. Don't do it.. Please.." I whisper, shocked when he reluctantly surrenders.

"You're being detained as potential suspects in the unsanctioned activation of Atlas. Come with me, and no funny business." One of the four soldiers says to us.

The soldiers walk us through the abandoned street, and to my relief don't attempt to take our weapons. I can only assume they aren't concerned with swords when they have guns. Either way, I'm glad.. I have the feeling that Cloud's reluctant surrender would have ended swiftly if they tried.. They walk us past a makeshift command post, which was filled with computers and into a storage room that would be our cell until all of this was cleared up. The blonde gives me a 'now or never' look, but I shake my head and the bared gate is shut behind us.

"We're being treated like criminals.. It was just a misunderstanding.." Noel sighs. "Stick to the truth and we'll be okay. And smile. Smiling usually helps."

"That huge hand.. Any idea what it was?" I ask him.

"I heard them call it Atlas, I think." He answers. "As far as I can tell, it seems to be the cause of all the trouble here."

"Hey, Cloud.. What do you think?" I ask, walking over to the box he was perched on.

"I think you should have let me kill them.. I- We'll never see your sister at this rate.." He sighs as he takes his eyes off the floor to look at me.

My eyes widen in shock when I see his own. From the moment I has saw him there was something strange about his eyes, but in the dim light of this makeshift cell, I could see they actually glow.. They where frighteningly beautiful and I wondered if everyone on his world had eyes like that..

"..Your eyes.. they're amazing.." I hear myself say.

"They're monsters eyes.." He replies, averting his gaze and jumping off the crate he was sat on. "Hey, how long are you going to keep us here?" He asks the guard stationed outside our cell bluntly.

"You're going straight to Academy HQ. They'll drag the truth outta you." The guard replies.

"What's going on here?" Noel adds.

"As if you didn't know. Unknown hostiles have infested the ruins and are slowin' down the surveys. Did you three get up here on the Gran elevator?"

"The Gran what?" Noel frowns. "Serah?"

"He could be talking about the elevator that's supposed to connect Cocoon to Pulse. But it's still being built. It's going to be finished next year." I answer.

"You're confused miss. It was done last year." The guard corrects me before leaving.

"Last year!?" I gasp. "Have we move forward in time?"

"I'd say two years have past.." Noel answers.

"And we're gonna be here for another two at this rate.." Cloud barks as he marches over to the bars.

I watch his hand tremble with anger before finding their way onto the bars. Noel glances at me with worry, as the sound of steel creaking under stress echo's through our room. It was like nothing I had ever seen, but he slowly starts to bend the bars open, only to be stopped by the hunter, who places a hand on his tensed arm.

"Take it easy there.. This is just a big misunderstanding.. We can't go around starting fights." Noel says calmly. "If we all wanna get out of here in one piece, without damaging the timeline, then we need to be careful."

"I don't need you to get out of here in one piece, and I don't give a damn about the timeline.." Cloud says coldly, releasing the bars and turning to Noel. "I need to get Serah to her sister... I made a promise.."

"Who is she to you anyway? If your not from this world then how could you possibly know Lightning?" Noel questions, taking a step towards the blonde, but I fear it's only adding fuel to the fire.

"Serah! Is that you?!" I hear a woman shout, breaking the mini standoff between Noel and Cloud. "Serah! It is you!"

"You know them?" The guard asks, but It's me who is wondering who she is too.

"Uh-huh." She answers, giving me a faint wink and then turning back to the guard. "Alyssa Zaidelle. I'm an Academy intern. I heard you apprehended our three observers.. So.. Here I am.."

"Observers!?" The guard gasps in horror.

"Yes. They're invited guests of the Academy. I was showing them around and forgot to give them their communicators." Alyssa says apologetically.

"They're VIP's?! Ahhh... I hope we can forget about this little mix up.." The guard says sheepishly as he opens the gate.

 _Strange world. Stranger events. Unfamiliar faces. An uncertain future. They speak of anomalies- of a strange energy that warps time itself. Things that shouldn't exist here are appearing near the gates. Thing's that shouldn't happen are happening. They call this phenomenon the paradox effect. And if you thing about it, that term could apply to our existance in this age as well. Lightning.. How will I ever find you when I don't even know when or where I'll end up next?_

 **Cid's POV**

"What the hell is takin' them so long?!" I bark.

"..Cid, they've only been gone for an hour." Nanaki says.

"All they had to do was nab some reporters and come back! If they're not back in five minutes then-" I begin.

"Then you'll what, Highwind?!" Yuffie shouts as she bursts through the door.

"Enough.." Vince huffs. "Yuffie, do you have it?"

"Yep." She answers, opening up a backpack and pouring out the contents on the table.

I look over it briefly, finding I.D cards, room reservations, interview schedules and scripted questions. I don't want to admit it but the kid's done alright. The only thing we need now is the uniforms and equipment, and I'm not holding up much hope, as it was the mangy cat's job to get it. Two cigarettes and a cup of tea later, Cait Sith stumbles through the door, dropping a bunch of camera equipment and clothing as he falls.

"That better not be broken, cat! The whole world thinks it's getting the deaths of my friends. Instead it's getting two minutes of my fine ass!" I bark.

"Cid, please tell me you're joking?..." Nanaki frowns.

"Nope.. And the best part is.. It's gonna be broadcast on the emergency channel. Means they'll have no choice but to watch! Muhahahaha!"

"I call for a vote of no confidence.." Yuffie mutters. "All those in favor, say aye."

"AYE!" Everyone shouts unanimously.

"This ain't a democracy, it's a dictatorship" I tell them.

"Well you are a dic.. tator..."

"Cid, Yuffie! Final warning!" Nanaki roars.

"Fine.." I sigh. "Right, you two get ready, we're gonna make our way up there now and secure the airstrip until you're in position. Yuffie, take a phone, keep it on at all times. We don't have long before it happens so we can't afford to fuck this up.."

Me, Vincent and Nanaki head outside and walk over to the lift, which was guarded by the most corrupt guard in all of Shinra. The whole world knew who we where by now, but 10gill seems to overlook that fact and give us entry to upper Junon. There's little in the way of resistance as we head through the militarized sections of the city and head to the airstrip. Following sighs for the runway, we quickly find what we're looking for. I peer through the door to find the aircraft lift being guarded by a handful of Shinra grunts.

"...just keep moving forward.. I'll take care of the rest.." Vincent's creepy voice echo's in my ear.

I burst through the door and start running for the lift with Nanaki. The guards quickly get in formation and draw their weapons, but the sound of gunfire erupts from being me. One by one, Vince takes down the soldiers, never needing more than a single bullet for each soldier. We make it to the lift, and I operate it as bullets bounce off the rising platform. More guards come swarming out from the building we where once stood in, and Vincent fires down upon them with lethal precision. The Lift shudders to a stop, and I smash the control panel in with my lance before rushing over to the Glenika's. I see my ship tethered to the end of the runway, but I know what I've got to do first.

"They'll soon override that lift so we haven't got much time!" I tell them.

"How shall we destroy them? With magic?" Nanaki asks.

"No. I've got a better idea.. Nanaki, you hold the soldiers off.. We'll sort these out.."

"Understood." He nods. "I, son of Seto will not let anyone through.."

"Alright Vincent, watch and learn.." I say, prizing open a panel on the inside of the nearest ship's cockpit. See these wires and plugs? They're the stabilization system ECU and the weapon system's trigger control unit. Swap the plug's around and put the cover back."

"For what purpose?" Vince questions.

"The thing will fly fine. Until they try to fire that is.. Then it will fall out of the sky."

"Very well..."

 **A/N: As you may have guessed, Cloud is less than happy about his new predicament. I've done this for a few reasons.. the first being I want them to slowly grow a bond and for them to slowly understand Cloud's past. Also... He's just been told everything he's ever known is a lie, which his best friend has finally confirmed, he's lost Aeris and Light in the same day, and now he's finally found her again, he's forced to go find her sister.. So I'd be less than impressed too haha.**

 **I think the thing I read about Caius was a bad translation as he is doing something bad but for noble reasons, which will be important for this story. Either way though, as seen In lightning returns, he is quite literally unkillable. And Liam O'brian is an epic voice actor. I'm really looking forward to the next time they meet Caius in this story so I can write some more!**

 **I am going to continue with the ff7 parts as the next segment of that game Cloud isn't present, but eventually, it might have to be every couple of chapters that they get a mention. Anyway... Here's another. Hope you enjoy. Gonna start replying to PM's now. Thanks for reading.**

 **Wolf**


	37. The Atlas Paradox

**Cloud's POV**

Much to my relief, the cell door is opened apologetically by the guard, who averts his gaze from us as we exit. We follow the strange woman outside where we're met with rain. I glance at the other two, but they seem equally clueless about the woman's identity, despite her claiming to know us. Not willing to trust anyone here so easily, I close the gap between Serah and myself, just in case anything were to happen.

"I'll supply you both with comm devices. Right this way please." Alyssa says in an upbeat tone.

"Thank you for your help. I was just wondering; have we met before?" Serah asks to my relief.

"Oh, no. Sorry about all of that 'Observer' nonsense back there. Lucky for us, that soldier was so quick to believe me." She says, seemingly without a care in the world.

"Are you sure it's okay to lie like that?" I hear the pinkette ask with all the innocence of a child.

"Don't worry about it." She says, waving her hand in the air. "I'll go get your I.D badges. Meet me at the edge of the ruins."

The woman skips off to a nearby tent for a moment, leaving the three of us alone. Thankfully it wasn't just me who feels like there's something 'wrong' with this place, when I hear Noel suggest that we don't tell anybody where we're from. I can't believe how quickly this situation has got.. I hope the others are all right.. Will they ever forgive me for what I've done.

"You'll need ID to travel any further into the ruins. Here, take these communicators and keep them with you at all times. And a map too." Alyssa says when she reappears, handing Serah some ear pieces.

"So, I'm curious. Just why are you helping us, anyway?" Noel asks, beating me to it.

"I saw you three." She points after giving us a defeated look. "I saw how you got here through that thing."

"What, you mean through the gate?" The hunter asks. _So much for not telling anyone..._

"Yes, so it is some kind of gate. It links to another world, doesn't it?" She says excitedly as she brushes a stray lock of her short blonde hair out of her face. "Nice to finally know what those things are for."

"So basically, helping us out was almost like part of your research.." Noel surmises. "But you still have questions.."

"I do have questions, yes. About the gate and about the paradox."

"But with Atlas throwing his weight around, the ruins'll be closed off and there goes your chance to get your answers."

"Noel.." Serah says, almost apologizing for his observation.

"No problem. We'll take care of that giant for you."

"Noel.. A word.." I growl, stepping away from the two girls. "Claire sent me to bring her sister to her, not be the hero to every girl who bats her eyes at me.."

"You really are a grouch.. you know that?"

I take a step towards the man, but before I could take another, Serah and her Mog is blocking my path with a stern look. Looking down at her, I can't help but smile, it was Claire's 'look'; one that she wore with nearly every conversation with Cid. She looks at me with a confused frown for a moment, but her natural smile takes over again.

"What are you smiling about?" Serah asks.

"Nothing." I reply softly.

"So, Noel.. Why did you tell Alyssa that we'd help her?" Serah questions to my surprise.

"Because we can't let Atlas shut this place down. We need to search the ruins. There might be other gates we can use." He explains, satisfying our doubts.

"Like the gate to Valhalla?" She asks hopefully.

"Exactly. How can I take you to Lightning without those handy dandy portals?" Noel asks rhetorically.

"Right." Serah nods. "We'll do it your way."

With the rain pouring down on us, we follow Noel through the ruins. Moving away from the central area, where Atlas' now resting hand sits, it was clear to see that the destruction worsened the further in we got. The three of us walk up some paved steps, which gradually bring us to a passageway and a sight that made the three of us stop. A woman, wearing little more than a feathered orange tail and winged gloves flaps her arms excitedly as the three of us near. I hear myself tutting as I notice her dark stockings, which lead to chocobo styled shoes. I pray that Noel walks past her so we can find the next gate, but my prayers go unanswered.

"Choco-Boco-Lina! Welcome! Get your traveling products here at Chocolina's emporium!" She says with an excited grin. "The beauty's all mine, but the products can be yours- but only if you show me the money!"

"I've never seen anyone like you before. Who are you? And what do you have for sale?" The hunter asks. _I hope there's no more women between here and the gate..._

"I thought you'd never ask!" The near naked brunette grins, kicking open a large chest that was filled with potions, weapons and food.

"Good to know. But we don't have any money." Noel sighs.

"You don't, but he does." Chocolina says, pointing to me.

"Me?" I say, raising an eyebrow.

"Yep! You've got deep pockets!" She shouts, patting my pants with her wing to my annoyance.

I dive my hand inside my pocket and pull out a large stack of Gil that I had taken from my box of winnings at the battle square. I hold it out in front of me, but being in another world, I don't see this being acceptable currency. All three of their eyes light up at the sight, and I'm baffled as to how my money was the same as theirs. Pulling the money back away from the strange saleswoman, I hand the wad of cash to Serah, who looks at me in shock.

"Buy what you need. You're the leader." I say bluntly.

"I thought you said you were gonna drag me kicking and screaming to my sister?" She grins.

"...I still might." I joke. "I'm going to scout ahead.. Make sure there's no women to distract Noel up ahead.."

"Hey!" Noel shouts. "Be careful, we'll be right behind you."

"You better be."

 **Serah's POV**

I watch the blonde walk off into the ruins, but I feel the strange woman's eyes on me, waiting for me to turn around in the hope that I'd spend some of Cloud's money. I pick out some potions and hand over some of the money. There's lots of cool stuff here, but I feel rude spending his money. After all.. he was practically a stranger. Chocolina thanks us for our purchase, and tells us to come back at any time, but all I want to do now is find the gate.

Me and Noel head towards a huge flight of stone steps that Cloud climbed while we were shopping. There was a lone guard at the base of the steps, but upon seeing the communicator in my ear, he steps aside and gives us a slight nod. Noel laughs at how unfit I am as we jog up the steps, but his smiling face turns to a frown and he puts his arm out to block my path when we're a few steps from the top. I look at him for answers, but he just puts his finger over his lips and pulls me gently towards the wall. Finally, he taps his ear, instructing me to listen, and I instruct Mog to do the same.

" _It's all going wrong, Claire... Ever since you left, I wonder if I will I ever get to see you again.."_

Both engrossed in the blonde's heartfelt words, I loose my balance when I try to get closer and stumble into Noel, who trips over the last step and falls out from behind the wall. I land on Noel as Cloud's sword buries itself in the ground, right next to the hunter's head. Both of us where terrified to look up, but our eyes inevitably follow the blade up until we're met with an expression that was even sterner than usual, but I'm fixated on his watering eyes. _He loves her?_

"Er... Hey.." Noel gulps. "There you are.."

Cloud says nothing, but lets out an irritated growl as he pulls his sword from the ground. There's a lot of emotion bottled up in that hard shell, and I fear at some point that he'll break. But for now, I say nothing and follow behind as he stomps through the ruins. The rain beats down on us, and the once beautifully paved paths turned into large, broken shards of rock. In the distance, I see monsters gathered in the shadows of the ruins, but Cloud walks past them, and they don't attack. Perhaps even monsters knew to avoid the blonde.. We follow Cloud, who stops and turns to wait for us with crossed arms, but as we pass the monsters; which are a dirty red colour and made of metal, they begin to swarm. A luminous blue ring glows around their bodies as they circle me and Noel.

"What, no help?" Noel asks, noticing Cloud just watched with judgmental eyes.

"She has to learn how to fight.."

"You sure this is the time?" Noel questions, taking my side.

"Time isn't something she has.." Cloud tells him. "Serah, show me what you're capable of.. Let's see if you've got more than your looks from your sister.."

His words where cold, but I could see the importance of them. I grit my teeth, determined to prove to myself, as well as Cloud that I was capable. My hand reaches out to Mog, who transforms into my bow, and I take aim at the first of the five creatures. I fire, missing the nearest monster by less than an inch, and I can already feel the blonde's judgmental eyes on me.

"Widen your stance a little and time your shot between breaths. That's when you're the most stable." He instructs. "Noel, let her do it on her own.. These things don't look capable of killing.."

Noel hesitates, but eventually he steps aside, leaving me to fight alone. There must be some value in his methods if Noel was willing to let this play out, but I still feel like I've been thrown to the wolves.. Accepting my situation, I take in Cloud's advice as well as the hunter's cheers of encouragement, before taking my next shot. I manage to hit exactly where I'd aimed this time, leaving me with four quickly advancing enemies to go. I spin around at the sound of one jumping towards me and I manage to shoot it, mid jump. Noel gives me a thumbs up as I catch his eye, but Cloud remains stoic as he studies me.

I feel a sharp surge of electricity arc across my back, and I stumble down on my knees. The remaining three enemies where within a few feet of me, and my bow was not a short ranged weapon. I stand back up, and when I do, it was as though Mog had heard my thoughts and transformed himself into a sword. Seeing I'm injured, Noel comes running to my rescue, but I wave him off, determined to finish this on my own. My confidence grows with every monster I manage to beat, until the ruins are only home to me, Mog, Noel and Cloud.

"I did it." I say triumphantly as Cloud breaks his stern expression and rushes over me, healing my pain.

"You did.. You're a quick learner." He praises me.

"Yay! You did it, Kupo!" Mog shouts.

"Well whaddya know? It talks.." Noel says, poking Mog.

"Great..." Cloud huffs as he starts to walk off again.

We continue through the ruins, climbing up yet more steps when I see Atlas's huge hand burst through the clouds and head straight for us. Cloud draws his sword and slashes, but the hand vanishes in an instant, leaving us relieved and confused.

"What just happened?" I ask Noel, who seems to be the one with the most answers.

"Looks like we're getting overlap from another reality. Atlas has disappeared into another world, or another ti-"

"A gate!" Cloud shouts, cutting the hunter off and breaking into a sprint.

Yet again, I find myself running after the blonde, who seems desperate to get to Valhalla. By the time we catch up to him, he's already at the gate and staring at it with hopeful eyes. He holds his hand out without turning away from the gate, and without saying anything I know what he wants. I hand him the knife and he presses it against the metallic frame of the gate, but nothing happens. We watch as he opens the blade of the knife before trying again and again with no success.

"That won't work." Noel says softly, but even so, I see his stance change as if he was ready to get out of the blonde's way. "I think artifacts can only be used once."

" _There used to be a cemetery in the ruins. But now it's gone.." I hear Alyssa say in my ear. "If you come across any gravestones, let me know, it's been driving me crazy."_

"Hey, there's still lots of the ruins that we haven't explored yet. The key must be in there." I tell Cloud, who seems to appreciate my attempt at a moral boost.

 **Noel's POV**

We spend the next few hours exploring the chasms of the ruins, finding little more than broken relics, angry monsters and the occasional ghostly sighting of Atlas. But with every minute that passes, the strange eyes man gets more irritated. He seems to have Serah's best intentions at heart, but I don't like the way he is willing to kill so easily, and I feel like there's a lot he's not telling us. For now though, neither of us are in the position to argue with him. The three of us are left with not choice but to explore the ruins for Alyssa, as she talks us through everything.

" _We've detected a large energy source in the center of the ruins. An unknown device has appeared."_

"Did the device appear along with Atlas?" Serah wonders. "If Atlas is a weapon built by humans, they must've designed a way to stop it."

"You're right." I nod. "Let's go check it out. You coming?"

Cloud gives me a disinterested nod and the three of us follow Alyssa's instructions, eventually finding ourselves in a network of tunnels. It's cold and damp inside, but there seems to be less monsters in here thanks to the presence of soldiers, who parade through the labyrinth, protecting the researchers. It takes us less than ten minutes to find what was causing the power spike, and it looks like nothing I've ever seen before. In the center of the room was a small pillar with three crystal bulbs of differing sizes. They glow faintly with power, but there's no distinguishable controls to be seen. The three of us gather around it, and I find myself keeping my eye on Cloud, who seems to take great pleasure in destroying things.

"Hey, Noel. Is Atlas used in some war that happens in the future?" Serah asks me.

"Hmmm... Let me think.." I mutter. "...Yeah, I remember this."

"Are you forgetting stuff?" Serah asks, concerned.

"My.. Memories are unreliable. There are events that I should remember, but my memory is hazy. Like I'm seeing them through fogged glass.." I sigh, actually getting a pitied look from Cloud. "But not this time. I remember this one. There was a war hundreds of years before I was born. That's when Cocoon crashed into Pulse."

"But, what happens to Cocoon's pillar? What happens to Lightning and the others?"

"They say the pillar crumbled. All that's left in my time is crystal sand.." I tell her.

"If we travel to the future, maybe we can stop it." Serah smiles.

"No.. I'm taking you to your sister. I'm not here to fix time lines." Cloud says firmly.

Before any of us could argue, the darkness of the paradox spreads across the floor, and for a moment, it looks like we're stood on a galaxy full of stars. Atlas's hand rises from the ground, and pulls us down into the paradox before we even have chance to take breath. Darkness takes over us all and the only sound I hear is Mog frantically calling out for serah. Eventually our vision returns and we find ourselves stood inside the paradox; trapped between time and space itself.

"Where are we?" Serah asks.

"You both need to leave.." Cloud says coldly as he watches a strange mist that glows like his eyes in the distance.

"Er.. You tell us how and we will." I fire back.

"Wait here." He commands.

 **Serah's POV**

I wait nervously as he marches over to the green mist, which seems to get denser as he nears. He turns around to make sure we weren't following him before finally touching the green substance, that consumes him. I race over to where I last saw him, but he had vanished from sight. The green fog begins to swirl around before dissipating into a window to another realm. I gaze through the portal at an old, run down village on the edge of a mountain pass. A well stands in the middle of town and a rusted truck near its entrance. Our eyes are fixated on the image, and I look to Noel for answers, but he too has no idea what we're looking at. A few seconds pass, but finally four men walk into the village. I recognize one instantly as Cloud; despite the fact I can only see the back of them, and with him were two soldiers dressed in blue and a man in black that had long silvery hair and an even longer sword. They stop just before they enter the center of the village, and the man with long silver hair turns around. My eyes are instantly drawn to his own, which where just like Cloud's.

" _it's your first time back to your hometown in a long time, right?" He asks with a deep voice. "So how does it feel?"_

I expect Cloud to answer, but instead the vision shatters, only to replaced with an empty town once more. What we're watching seems to be on a never ending loop, which keeps restarting over and over again, until eventually we see something different. Cloud was no longer present. He was replaced by a taller man with jet black hair, but the same uniform and sword. The image in the portal slowly blurs, and the green mist pours out from it, hiding it from our view. I step back at the sight of a Shadow, but as it takes a step towards us, I quickly realize it was Cloud. He looks angry and heartbroken at the same time, and I wonder if he knew we could see what was happening. _I'll ask him privately sometime.._

"Lets go." He growls as he is about to walk past us.

"Go where?" Noel replies.

"The gate that's just appeared behind you." Cloud answers bluntly, not wanting to wait for us.

The three of us touch the gate, and within an instant, we're back in front of the control panel that hopefully can control Atlas. I try to catch Cloud's eye, but he just walks off to the nearest wall and rests against it impatiently. Mog lets out a sad sigh, confirming my suspicions that something was wrong, but I know asking him would get a less than welcome response. For now, all I can worry about is stopping Atlas, and hopefully finding the next gate key.

"You think this will work?" Noel asks.

"Lets hope so." I smile as I try to operate the device.

" _Ugh, finally! Can you hear me now? It looks like Atlas has started to slow down a little." Alyssa's voice echo's through our communicators._

"Sounds like we did something." I say hopefully. "Hey, Noel.. Do you mind if you and Mog scout ahead? I wanna see If he's alright." I add in a whisper.

"Sure thing." He says as he gives me a thumbs up. "Come on Mog."

Noel and Mog begin to make their way outside, and Cloud starts to follow, but I grab his arm gently, hoping that he doesn't take offense.

"Cloud, are you okay?" I ask him, making sure I looked into his eyes for the truth.

"I'm fine." He lied.

"You're just like my sister.. Terrible at lying.. She did that whole 'I'm fine, nothing bothers me' speech with me all time time... Admitting there's something wrong isn't a sign of weakness.."

"I.. I'm afraid of who I am.. What you saw where my memories.. Things I don't understand or can't remember.." He tells me, and by the looks of it is almost on the verge of tears. "I need to get to your sister.. She'll know what to do.."

"She's special to you, isn't she?" I press, not expecting a response.

"More than you'll ever know.." He answers to my disbelief as he walks towards the exit.

I'm taken back by his words, which I repeat in my head over and over again. I wonder if my sister felt the same way.. I had never thought about her with a man. She seemed to show no interest in any form of relationship when growing up. Light's bonds are usually forged in battle, but this was different. I'm dying to find out more, but I imagine interrogating the blonde would result in anger and denial. Maybe when we get to Valhalla, I can ask her myself..

 **A/N: Sorry for the delay and the short chapter. I've been in the middle of moving and haven't had a minute to myself. Next one will be longer. What I've decided to do is turn the anomaly, puzzle solving mini game thing into Cloud's memories, so he'll slowly learn the truth about himself, next time with Serah's help. I'm gonna try and do one location/time per chapter so it's a bit easier to follow too. Anyway, not a lot to say today other thank thank you for the reviews. I love reading what you have to say and I've just replied to any messages sent too. Enjoy.**

 **Wolf**


	38. Time Jumper

**Serah's POV**

We walk through the tunnel system to find Noel resting patiently against the wall near the exit, and Mog hovering next to him restlessly. He gives us his usual warm smile and we head outside into the rain again. Mog returns back to my side, displacing Cloud, who was not fond of the little Moogle. The four of us set out to find Atlas, but we don't have to look far. Now fully visible, Atlas stood above the ruins like a giant. The monstrous war machine remains stationary as we approach, but Cloud and Noel draw their weapons anyway, signaling for me to do the same.

"Serah.." Cloud says softly. "Try to stay back, I'll take care of it."

"But I want to help!" I protest.

"I know you do.. But you're no good to me dead.." He replies. "At least be careful." The blonde adds, seeing the stubbornness that was plastered across my face.

"Remember, these are war machines.. These things can take on Fal'cie. Or so it's said." Noel adds.

The three of us march over to the black, horned giant, which slowly turns to face us. The thin blue pattern across its body begins to glow with energy as Cloud breaks into a sprint. Atlas throws a punch at the blonde, but he rolls over the massive fist as it crashes into the earth and runs through it's legs. The war machine turns to locate Cloud, leaving it's back exposed to us, so Noel gives me a nod and the two of us attack. I cast fire spells at it's body, trying my best to stay back as Cloud instructed, as the hunter slashes at it's limbs.

Atlas remains fixated on Cloud, presumably knowing that he was capable of doing the most damage. The giant lifts it's massive foot in an attempt to stomp on the blonde, but he rolls back and imbeds his sword into it's leg. Atlas wails in pain and pulls his arm across his body as Cloud tries to pulls his sword free.

"Cloud, look out!" I scream, but I was too late.

As Cloud pulls his sword free, Atlas hits him with the back of his hand, sending the blonde through a nearby wall. Noel quickly draws its attention, and slashes at its legs, but he too is struck down by the sheer power of the giant. A part of me was terrified about what was going to happen next, but I push that feeling away and think about my sister. She became my hero by throwing herself into danger to protect what she cared for.. It's time I do the same..

I fire my bow rapidly at Atlas's head, quickly gaining its attention. I keep firing as he reaches up into the paradox, and I can't believe my eyes when he pulls out a pillar from the void. The giant throws it at me like a javelin, but I stand firm and fire at the incoming stone projectile, managing only to crack it. My eyes widen when I realize it was still coming towards me, but before it reaches me, it explodes into dust. When the veil of dirt settles, I find Cloud stood in front of me with a bleeding arm. I almost don't want to look at him, expecting a stern look, but I only find a smile.

"You're as stubborn as your sister... But you're learning.. Maybe there's hope for you yet." He smiles.

"You're hurt.." I say, pointing to his arm.

"I'll be fine. Go and help Noel while I finish this." Cloud commands as he's enveloped in a blue aura.

"Okay." I nod, before rushing off to Noel.

By the time I've reached Noel, he's back up and ready to continue the fight. But upon turning around, we see its already too late. We both watch in awe as Cloud jumps back to avoid another one of Atlas's punches, and runs up it's arm with his sword resting on his shoulder. He leaps into the air; finally gripping his sword with both hands, and brings it crashing down on the giant's head. Atlas drops lifelessly onto it's hands and knees before its engulfed in the same golden glow that surrounds the gates. The huge war machine disappears before our eyes as the paradox dissipates, returning the ruins back to how they once were.

"The paradox is dissipating." I say with a relieved tone. "I wonder what caused this paradox effect.."

"This is just a theory, but I think there might be someone out there derailing history and bending the timeline." Noel replies. "That's why Atlas and these gates are appearing out of nowhere."

" _You took Atlas down?! That's great news! I'm on my way!"_ Alyssa's voice echos through our ears.

The three of us wait patiently.. Or rather two of us wait patiently while Cloud paces angrily for every second he's forced to stop to wait for Alyssa. Noel walks over to a small stone monument that sat under the shade of some overgrown ivy, so me and Cloud follow him. Within a few minutes, Alyssa comes skipping over with a nervous smile across her face and stops right in front of the tone marker.

"It's an epitaph." Noel tells us. "Here lie the innocent victims of chance, cast out and cast down. May their souls find the path that leads them home." He reads.

"Cast out... These must be the victims of the purge.." I say with a heavy heart, still feeling guilty in my part in the purge.

"This is it, this is the place!" Alyssa shouts as she kneels down at the memorial and skims her fingers over the list of names. "I thought I might be... But that's not my name..."

"Then, who's is it?" I ask.

"It's my friends... She died here. Running from the purge.. I'm one of those who survived.."

Alyssa retells the story of how Bodhum was considered tainted by Pulse and sentenced to a death we thought was just solitude, and with every word, I feel my heart break piece by piece. The devastation my curiosity had caused to so many people is a weight I don't think I will ever shed. I hold my wrist to stop my hand shaking, but I feel another hand on my shoulder. I look up to find Cloud, who gives me the faintest of smiles. I wonder, did Light tell him what happened to us all?

"Ever since then, I've had the same dream. I'm trapped under rubble. It's dark, I'm in pain, and I can barely breathe." Alyssa says shakily. "The next thing I know, I rise out of my body, and I'm standing before this grave. And the name written on the stone... It's mine.. After seeing that image so many times, I started to think that maybe I did die back then. And the life I'm living now is just an illusion."

"Alyssa, you feel that way too?" I ask, shocked at how she was almost describing my own feelings.

"Well... You seem real to me." Noel says, poking the young girl in the head gently.

"Real enough, I guess." She says, managing a brief laugh. "Even if they all forget, I never will." Alyssa adds, whispering quietly to the epitaph.

Alyssa thanks us for our assistance, before returning back to the central camp, leaving our little group alone again in the ruins.

"Okay then. I think that wraps things up with Alyssa." Noel says. "Now for our little quest. Let's go find an artifact, and open a gate."

"So, where do we look?" I ask him.

"..There." Cloud says, pointing to a corner of the ruins that was draped with ivy.

"I don't see anything." I say as I scan the area.

"Time for some moogle magic, kupo!" Mog cheers, waving his wand around.

Mog darts off to where Cloud was pointing and flicks his wand, sending a wave of darkness radiating out from him. The darkness fades as quickly as it appears, leaving behind an artifact that was previously invisible to us. I thank Mog as the blonde wastes no time in picking up the artifact. He returns to us as he tries to suppress a victorious smile, and I don't need to ask what he wants to do now. A nod was all he needed, so me, Noel and Mog follow him back to the gate.

"Ready?" He asks.

"As I'll ever be." I answer nervously.

Cloud doesn't bother to ask Noel's feelings on the matter and offers us the artifact to the gate, which consumes it in an instant. The metallic frame of the gate shifts and expands like it did the first time, and we're all consumed within the energy that flows out of the device, but not before I see a brief flicker of a vision. It only lasted for a second, but I watch Ragnarok appear before Cocoon before the vision fades and I find myself in the historia crux.

"I hope we land right in the place that Lightning is waiting." I say, hopeful of our destination.

"..Me too." I hear Cloud mutter to himself.

 _People always say the future will be better. They believe the hardships of the present fade with the passage of time. And so we hope, waiting for a future brighter than today. But Cloud, remember this...As you walk towards a brighter tomorrow, you have to look back to your past. The path you have walked to reach the hear and now will give you the courage you need to hope. -Lightning_

I feel my feet land softly on damp grass as my eyes adjust to the darkness. I was sure that this wasn't Valhalla, but confirmation came from Cloud, who let out an angry grunt at the sight.

"It's so dark." I say, stating the obvious.

"In ancient times, the Fal'cie devoured the light, darkness cloaked the sky and the earth knew only night." Noel tells us. "This must be the eclipse."

"You know what this is?" I ask him.

"They said five hundred years ago, a massive Fal'cie appeared. For a while it blotted out the sun and turned everything dark."

"If that happened five hundred years in your past, then this must be two hundred years in my future." I work out.

"Right. But somethings wrong. Look, the eclipse is only effecting this small area. That shouldn't be possible."

"So you're saying this could be a paradox?" I question.

"Great.. Another wind goose chase.." Cloud huffs as he starts to walk away.

"Where's your sense of adventure, Cloud?" Noel teases, quickly causing the blonde to stop walking and turn to face him.

I flick between the anger in Cloud's eyes and Noel's defiant stare, but the sound of angry footsteps draws my full attention to Cloud, who's marching towards the hunter with an animalistic rage. The blonde got within a foot of Noel, but I wedge myself between them, knowing that I offered little to no resistance if they did decide to start fighting.

"Hey, why don't we take a rest? We could all do with an hour." I suggest.

"Fine.. Just keep him away from me.." Cloud growls as he stabs his weapon into the soft grass and takes a seat.

I give him some space and walk over to Noel, who is scanning the area with an annoyed look in his face. It was clear that the two of them didn't get on very well, but I could see this escalating quicker than I could imagine, and if I didn't do something soon, it would end up in a fight.

"Noel, whats wrong?" I ask as I stand beside him and stare into the distance.

"He doesn't seem to care about the world.. Any of it.. How can someone be that cold?" He asks me.

"He isn't from our world.. He doesn't feel the connection we hold for our home.." I answer. "He may act cold, but deep down, there's something fragile.. I can feel it."

"I wish I had you're confidence." Noel sighs before letting out a yawn.

"Tired?" I ask, trying to suppress a yawn myself.

"A little.. It's been a hectic day."

"Let's have a couple of hours then." I offer as I turn to find Cloud was already asleep, leaning with his back against a rock and his boots resting against his sword.

 **Cloud's POV**

The tiredness hit my like a train, the moment I sat down. I was so angry because I still hadn't made it to Valhalla, that I had lost all concentration of the world around me and sleep quickly sneaked up to claim me.

"I know this isn't what you'd hoped for, when coming to search for me, and I'm sorry for forcing this mission on you.. If I could, I would have gone myself." I hear Claire's voice.

" _Claire? How?" I ask._

" _I'm bound to Valhalla, but I can reach out to your subconscious when I'm given enough time."_

" _Why couldn't you just_ _stay with_ _me?.. You told me you'd never leave.." I question._

" _After what I'd done, I saw no other way of escape.. By the time I had realized just what was happening, it was too late.."_

" _Tell me how I can reach you.. With each step I feel like I'm moving further and further away.."_

" _There's nothing in the world I would like more than to have you hear with me, but you need to keep Serah safe and fix the timeline. It's the only way to save us all." Claire tells me. "Will you do that for me?"_

" _I'd do anything for you..." I tell her. "Just promise me we'll see each other again."_

" _I promise.." She tells me, but her tone terrified me._

My eyes open to find Serah kneeling by my side. I frown at her as she looks at me with concern. She climbs back to her feet, giving me the space to do the same, and I pull the buster sword from the ground. The area is still engulfed in darkness, but I see the light in the distance.

"Are you okay?" Serah asks me. "You where talking to yourself in your sleep."

"I'm fine." I nod. "...Listen, Serah.. I'm sorry for being so cold. I just want to get to your sister.."

"You ever going to tell me what's going on between you two?" She presses playfully.

"Don't push it." I reply, giving the young pinkette a grin as I walk over to Noel. "Come on. We've got a paradox to fix."

"For real?" He asks like an excitable child.

"For real. Let's mosey." I order, taking the lead.

I walk through the grassy plains with the others in my wake. I know there must be life on this world, because the darkness is broken up with what looks like street lightning. As I start to wonder why a grassy area would be sporadically lit up, I feel the hairs on my arms stand on end. My hand finds my weapon as I turn to the others, happy to find Noel has done the same.

"Get to the lamps." I order.

"Kupo!" I hear Mog shout as he turns into Serah's bow.

The sound of heavy footsteps prowling in the darkness had my eyes darting around as I make sure Serah gets to the light. Noel takes the other side of Serah, providing cover at the rear of our small group. The slow steps quicken to a gallop, and it's Noel who it targets. He raises his smaller sword just in time to block the swipe from the massive behemoth, but the force of the blow knocks him to the ground. Serah charges in to attack, and I can't help but admire her bravery, despite the danger in it. She fires her bow at the beast, causing it to turn on her, but I'm quick to get between them.

I duck under the behemoth's swipe, and manage to slice into its arm, but it's blunted horn hits me so hard, I'm thrown into the air. Noel offers me a hand when I land, and the two of us flank the target while Serah draws it's attention with her bow. The hunter goes low, slashing at the monsters back leg, immobilizing it for the second that I need to cut through it's neck, decapitating it.

"You're learning quickly, Serah." I tell the pinkette, who looks at me with a proud smile.

The three of us take a moment in the light of the lamp, but after a few minutes of listening to Mog, I take the lead into the darkness. We move between the light sources, as it seems to be the safest way across the vast fields. I see the ruins in the distance, as well as an Academy researcher that stands in the light of another street lamp that cuts into the eclipse's blanket of darkness. I know I should be subtle in my questions, but the faster I find answers, the quicker I get to Claire.

"Hello, are you here to observe the facility? I can answer any questions you might have." The researcher tells me as he spots us walking through the darkness

"Where are we, and what year is it?" I ask bluntly, earning a strange look.

"Cloud!" Serah frowns, but I pay her little attention.

"Yaschas Massif, 10AF, sir." The man answers.

"10 AF? So, nowhere near two hundred years." Serah says, realizing the year did not line up with what Noel told us by a long margin.

"I must say, this is the first time anyone's asked me what year it was." The man laughs. "Here, take this map. It's free."

I take the map from the researcher before I'm dragged off my Serah, who was making sure I didn't say anything else that I shouldn't to strangers. I take a quick glance at the map, and then give it to Noel, who studies it carefully. He turns to us with an amazed face, and the map is thrust back into our faces as his finger taps violently on the paper.

"This is the Paddra ruins! Let's go check it out!" He says, running into the darkness.

I shrug at Serah and we take off after the hunter. Me, Serah and Mog catch up to Noel, and the four of us make our way through the labyrinth that was carved into the sandstone mountains. The pockets of light were few and far between, leaving us open to monster attacks, but a part of me is glad. With each battle won, I see Serah slowly turning into a fighter like her sister. The innocence she possessed conflicted with her sister's killer instinct, but the skill was certainly there.

"I'm so tired.." She wheezes as another monster falls to her bow. "I feel like I'm about to break."

"The hammer that shatters glass, forges steel." I tell her.

"Wise words." Noel agrees. "Read that in a magazine?"

"Old Wutaian proverb." I answer.

It takes us a little over an hour to make our way through the grassy corridors, which eventually open up to reveal the remains of a large city that sits in a large valley below, sheltered from a lot of the elements. An Academy researcher and that strange chocobo woman are stood on the end of the grassy plain, which drops down to the city's lowest level, and the ever predictable hunter heads straight for them. Serah let's out a laugh when I smile and shake my head at Noel, who's left us for a more 'enticing' audience.

"I'm very sorry. Only persons on offical Academy business are permitted beyond this point." The young researcher tells the hunter.

"Looks like his charm is wearing off.." I scoff as we walk over to him.

"You wanna give it a go? You must be quite the smooth talker if you got my sister to like you." Serah fishes. "So, when did you two fall for each other?"

"Stop fishing." I huff, not ready to divulge my personal life yet. "Look out!" I shout, spotting a paradox open up between us and the city.

Noel dives out of the way of the monster that hangs out of the paradox as I draw my sword. Serah has already released two arrows at the Frankenstein like figure before me or Noel are in a position to attack. I don't know why, but watching her fight fills me with pride, and for a moment, I feel like Claire is by my side. Quickly finding my enemy skill materia, I cast trine on the monster and watch the yellow lightning arc around the paradox, pushing the monster back inside as the paradox collapsed in on itself.

"I thought I'd have to come and save you, but it looks like you took care of that thing just fine." I hear a voice in the distance. "It's been a while Serah."

 **Barret's POV**

"The hell are these people?" I growl as I'm lead through a bunch of news reporters.

"We will be broadcasting your miserable deaths live on national television." Scarlet cackles.

"Scarlet, why a public execution in this day and age?" A reporter in the crowd asks, and I quickly recognize the voice. _The damn cat?!_

"With the chaos resulting from the meteor reports, we desperately need to rally public support.. It's better we punish somebody, anybody." She answers coldly.

"You make me sick..." Tifa growls as she struggles with her restraints.

"Kya ha ha ha! They'll never admit it, but everybody loves this stuff." The Shinra slapper laughs callously. "We'll start with the girl."

"If you gotta do it, take me first!" I demand, struggling against the guards.

"Camera, this way! Make sure you get this, the audience just eats up tearful goodbyes."

I'm pinned down by the Shinra guards as Tifa is lead into the gas chamber. A couple of minutes later. Scarlet and a guard leaves the chamber and shuts the door behind them, sealing Tifa inside.

"Well now, the show's about to begin. Kya ha ha ha!" Scarlet laughs as she laps up the attention.

" _ **Emergency! Emergency! Weapon approaching! Attention all military personnel! Take your positions!"**_

Sirens and warning strobes bellow, sending soldiers and news reporters alike scrambling to the doors. The Shinra slapper looks disgusted when the camera's turn away from her as they run for their lives, and she shouts at them all in vain to come back. Only one reporter remains and no disguise in the world was hiding the fact it was Cait Sith. He wobbles his fat, stuffed ass over to the tart and shoves a microphone in her face.

"How does it feel now, Scarlet?" He asks her.

"Hmm, you didn't run? I'm impressed. How do I feel? Right now.." She begins to answer, but her words start to slur, and within seconds, she's collapsed in front of the cat.

The two guards holding me down, release me and race towards the cat; who's now ripped of his disguise. I watch as he roars at the stuffed toy that he's sat on with his megaphone, which tumbles around a fire materia with it's fingerless arms. With sheer luck, the cat manages to activate the materia, sending a ball of flame at the closest guard. The man screams as he runs through the rows of foldaway chairs, and I summon all of the strength I could muster, and prize my wrists apart, breaking the handcuffs. It takes me a moment, but I remove the metal that the guards had jammed in the chamber of my gun arm, and I'm now back in the game. The last guard falls to my gun arm, and the room if filled with nothing but the sound of sirens.

"I'm hear to help!" The cat shouts.

"Why you.. Ain't you part of the Shinra?" I ask.

"Let's just say I'm against capital punishment.. Besides.. I hate this broad. Come on. We gotta help Tifa!" He tells me. "I'll guard the entrance."

After giving the cat a nod, I run to the gas chamber door and pull on it with all my strength, but it doesn't give an inch.

 **Cid's POV**

"The fuck is that?!" I ask, pointing to the huge figure just below the water's surface in the distance.

"It would appear to be Weapon.." The vampire says calm as ever.

"It would seem the soldiers have found a bigger problem." Nanaki says, returning to us. "I doubt that we'll have company now.

"Right! Everyone on the Highwind!" I order.

The three of us run down the runway towards my baby, and with a couple of minutes, we're on the bridge. My fingers trace over the teak wheel, as I take my place behind it. I turn on the instruments and power up the engines, that start to sing that beautiful song of burning fuel.

"All hands on deck! Make ready the cannons!" I shout.

"What is he talking about?" I hear Nanaki mutter to Vince.

"He thinks he's a pirate.. He'll be insufferable now.."

 **A/N: As it turns out, moving does not take a day to do, and to make things worse, my other half had packed my laptop charger and it's taken me four days to locate it. When I asked where It was, she said; and I quote. 'There's some wires with plugs on the end in one of those boxes' as she points to a mountain of boxes -_-**

 **Anyway, moaning and excuses aside, hope you enjoyed the chapter. Let me know what you think.**

 **Wolf**


	39. Turning Point

**Serah's POV**

"It's been a while, Serah." I hear a young man say softly as he approaches us.

"Hope? Is that you?" I say in disbelief. The last time I saw him, he was just a boy.

"I'm grateful that you remember me." He smiles.

"Who's this?" Noel asks defensively.

"Director of Academy research, team Alpha. Hope Estheim, at your service." He introduces himself. "And you, you must be Noel."

"Nice guess. Who told you?" The hunter asks.

"You appeared here with Serah some years ago, at the Bresha Ruins, along with this man." Hope says, locking eyes with Cloud. "I didn't catch your name."

"I didn't give it.." The blonde says coldly. "Cloud."

"Right, well uh.. We analyzed the gate and forecast your reappearance at this location. To be honest, I didn't really believe time travel was really possible. But here you are." He says grabbing by hands in his own. "I'm really glad you're safe. For me it's as if time has stopped. Everyone I knew is gone..."

"Hope..."

"From your point of view, it's been years since you last saw Serah." Noel says.

"Not just Serah. Snow as well. And Sazh and his boy.. You all disappeared from my life.. It's been ten years now..." He says softly.

"I never thought..." I begin, but am cut off by Hope.

"When the paradox occurred some years ago, I thought if I could solve it, maybe you would all come back-"

"Director Hope! There you are!" We hear a familiar voice shout from the distance. "What were you thinking? Taking off and leaving me all on my own." Alyssa says, as I suppress a laugh at Cloud's sigh.

Alyssa takes her place next to Hope, and the pair listen to my story, and the task set by Lightning to fix the time line. Other than some distracted glances at Cloud, he listens intently, never once questioning me as I tell him that I'm the only one who remembers my sister's smile on Gran Pulse, or that Snow set out to find a way to rescue Fang, Vanille, and my sister.

"There's something I want to show the three of you. We can continue our conversation as we walk." Hope says as Alyssa clings to his arm like an over possessive girlfriend.

He brushes her off his arm and leads us down through the base of the ruins, where Academy researchers move about the broken structures like ants. We're lead up some temporary ramps, which run between piles of supply crates, as we climb higher and higher into the city ruins. I can't help but notice the amount of soldiers guarding the ruins, and when I turn to Cloud, I catch him glancing at a female soldier guarding some stairs ahead.

"You okay?" I ask quietly, slowing down to keep his slow march at the back.

 **Cloud's POV**

"Fine." I answer her, but it couldn't be further from the truth. All of these soldiers all wore the Guardian Corps uniform that Claire wore. Every time I see a new soldier, my heart races then sinks, knowing that it isn't her.

Serah lingers by my side for a moment, before leaving me alone and catching up to Hope. I almost can't wait for sleep again, in the hopes that I can hear her voice, even if I'm not sure if it was real or not. For now, my dreams are all I have, but they'll never be enough.. Only when I see her with me eyes and can wrap my arms around her will I be happy again.

"You're falling behind, Kupo!" Mog shouts back to me, so I break into a jog to catch up.

I catch up as the main section of the city is revealed. It's just stone ruins, but it didn't take much imagination to realize just how big of a city this would have been. Hope tells us the history of the kingdom of Paddra, and how it was home of the people known as the 'Farseers', and lead by a Seeress. Serah looks at the towering structures with interest, but it's Noel who stares at it in disbelief.

"Can you see me now? Standing in this place?..." The hunter mutters to himself.

"So their leader was a Seeress, right?" Serah asks.

"Yes. The Seeress would read the fates, see the future, and guide the country." Hope explains.

"Yeul.." I hear Noel whisper. It seems he knows more than he's telling us.

Hope leads us to a command center, as he explains how the right to rule the city was passed down from one Seeress to the next, and how she was always called Yeul. He continues on to tell us that the power to see the future ended up destroying the city, by sending it into civil war. Noel continues to mumble to himself throughout Hope's story; and despite how interesting it was, it brought me no closer to solving a paradox, or finding Claire.

"What's that." I interrupt, pointing to a green, pentagon sided sphere, that takes center stage on the command center desk.

"That.. er.. that's an Oracle drive. It seems to be the heart of our paradox." Hope answers.

"But, how did you-!?" Noel stutters, as he takes a step towards the artifact.

"Wait, you know of these devices?" Hope asks.

"Oh, uh.. yeah. I've- I've heard of them. In... Books and stuff.." He replies sheepishly.

"Right, well.. They appear do be recording devices. But the recordings depict.. things that cannot be possible.. Perhaps you should see for yourselves."

Noel; who claimed to have only read about these devices in books, seamlessly managed to turn on the device, which took us all by surprise, when it lit up the sky above us. I watch as a vision materializes in the air, of a sinister looking creature with many arms. Claire's face flashes across the screen briefly before I'm looking at crystal emerging from a hope in the planet. The vision returns to the older Farron sister, who's fighting in a hyper modern city, before finally resting on what I know to be Cocoon.

"What we're concerned about however, is this.. You'll have to excuse the image quality." Hope says, playing another clip on the device.

It was Claire again.. But this time it was in Valhalla, how I saw her the last time we met. The image wasn't clear, but there was no mistaking the fight between her and the purple haired man she called Caius. I only realized my hand was trembling, when I felt a soft hand grip my own and give it a gentle squeeze. I didn't need to look, but I knew it was Serah, and I didn't pull away from her attempt at comforting me.

"The recording must be broken, but the device seems to be running fine." Hope tells us as the blurry image continues to play. "Perhaps it's the paradox."

"The recording is not wrong.." I speak, just louder than a whisper, before attempting to turn, realizing that Serah still had my hand held tightly in hers. I take a step away, not wanting to look at the image anymore, but Serah pulls me back with a gentle tug. Turning back to her, I give her a frown, but it quickly fades when I see what she's pointing at. The young Academy boss had offered up a crystal key to the time gate.

"This object serves as a key, is that right? We tried to make it work ourselves, but with no success."

"Yeah, we can use that to travel across time." The hunter says with excitement.

"Then you may have it. I think it'll be far more useful to you than us." Hope smiles. "There is a gate not to far from here, but be careful, there's many steep cliffs leading down to it."

"Thank you, Hope." Serah smiles, hugging the young man goodbye.

We walk back through the ruined city, and as usual, I'm in the lead, and Noel is lagging behind. With little to go on, I head back to where that weird Chocobo girl was stood, as it gave us a high vantage point over the city, and the lack of artificial lightning up there would hopefully make the gate stand out in the darkness.

"Hey, what about the paradox?" Noel asks, as we make the gentle climb up to Chocolina.

"Unless you've got a ladder big enough to reach that thing, then there's not much we can do." I tell him, pointing to the sky. "All I'm interested in is finding the gate. Someone else will have to figure out how to switch the light back on here."

"You're looking for the gate?" The chocobo woman asks, flapping her winged gloves.

"Yes. You know where it is?" I ask her.

"I might." She winks.

"I don't have time for your games." I say angrily, taking a step towards her.

"You wouldn't hurt a beautiful lady, would you?" She asks.

"If it meant finding Lightning, I'd pluck every one of those feathers out." I say coldly.

"If you wanted to see what was underneath, all you had to do was ask." She says with another flirtatious wink.

"So can you help us?" Serah asks, seeing me getting flustered by her responses.

"Sure thing! It's right down there!" The woman points. "Be careful though! It's quite a drop!"

Serah thanks the boisterous woman, and the three of us head down the path she had set us out. Even from behind, I could tell the pinkette was grinning to herself, ready to say something, and as if on cue, she turned around, already trying to suppress a laugh.

"So how did you deal with my sister if you can't deal with women?" Serah giggles to herself.

"Claire's.. different.."

"Bust be a true love thing I guess." She says.

"Yeah.. I mean.. Grrr.." I growl, but smile to myself, thinking that she'd make a good Turk.

"I will get it out of you, Mr Strife.. Eventually.." She laughs.

"Kupo, Kupo!" Mog shouts. "Down there, Kupo!"

I rush to the ledge that Mog was hovering over, and sure enough, at the bottom was the gate. It was quite a drop to the bottom, but jumping down shouldn't pose a problem to me.

"Noel, you think you can jump down there?" I ask.

"Yeah, I should be able to. What about Serah?"

"You want me to jump down there? Maybe Chocolina has some rope.." Serah says hesitantly.

"I'm not going back to Chocolina.. She scares me." I laugh. "It's okay, I'll catch you."

I jump down first, landing gracefully, just a few feet away from the gate. Noel lands right beside me, and all that's left is Serah, who's stood on the edge with Mog. I stand at the bottom ready, and signal for the youngest Farron sister to jump, but she remains on the edge. Well, at least until Mog gave her a helping hand. She lets out a high pitched squeak, but I catch her, and she was back on solid ground in less than a second.

"Mog!" Serah shouts.

"Kupo!" The moogle blushes.

"Shall we?" Noel says, holding out the artifact.

We both give him a nod and line up around the gate, as Noel offers it up. I've already told myself that it won't take me to Valhalla. To assume otherwise would just leave me disappointed. We step through, spending a brief time in the Historia Crux, before the gate spits us back out in a place that looks like it's being eaten away by time and space. The sandy ground moves beneath my feet, and there was little more to walk on. I can see the beginning of a road emerging out of the sand, but it's being consumed by a paradox, which looks like a sea of stars. Bits of rubble float in it's atmosphere, and we're left with nowhere to go.

"The world is... falling apart." Serah gasps.

"Is this a future where everything has been destroyed? Or is it a distant past, before the world has even come into being?" Noel wonders, but the sight of rubble from man made structures, floating in the distance tells me that it's the former.

"Spacetime has twisted on itself here, kupo! Two pasts, one real, one an illusion are tangled here." Mog says, and I sigh, instantly knowing what it meant.

"We have to find out what's causing this." Noel tells us.

"..I'm causing this.." I say as I march over to the road, which pours from the sandy dunes.

I sense a gate in front of me, but my hand goes straight through the air as I try to touch where I think it should be. I look to the Moogle, hoping he'd do his thing without me having to ask, and thankfully, he does. The golden aura of a time gate begins to radiate from the air, before the metallic structure materializes around it. In here holds another piece of my own personal puzzle, and I've never been so hesitant to find the truth in all my life.

"Hey, I'll come with you." Serah says with a smile.

"Alright.." I say. "But Noel and the Moogle say."

"Hey!" Noel and Mog protest in unison.

I touch the warm metal of the gate, and in an instant, I'm stood in the center of Nibelheim again. Serah stands next to me, while I take in the view of my childhood. Everything looks just as I remember, and the sun is beating down on the usually cold village.

"This is your home?" Serah asks.

"Yeah." I answer. "My house is that one over there." I point to the small house in front of us, just as a young me shyly creeps out of the door.

"Oh! You where so cute!" Serah teases.

"... I should have done this on my own.." I sigh.

Me and Serah watch my younger self walk past the well and stop outside of Tifa's house. The young me looks up longingly at Tifa's bedroom window, and I instantly realize what day it was. Tifa's mother had died earlier that morning.. I notice Serah read my expression, but she doesn't ask me what was wrong. I look up at Tifa's window to find one of her friends look down at the little me, before disappearing back into the room. A few seconds later, the door opens, and the two of us follow my younger self upstairs.

"Who's that, crying?" Serah asks.

"Tifa.. Her mom died today.." I say softly, almost wanting to walk over to the young brunette and hug her tightly.

"She was your friend?"

"Yeah." I answer, but now that I think about it, this was the first time I had ever been in her room. Tifa was always with her three friends that I always called her three stooges. They were always so silly and childish, but in truth, I'd have done anything to have been a part of their games. Perhaps that was why I thought I was different as I kid..

" _I want... to see... Mom.."_ Tifa sniffs, before climbing to her feet and rushing down the stairs.

"What happens now?" Serah asks me.

"Something I wish that I could have prevented.." I tell her as the illusion of her room vanishes, and we're placed on the cold mountain pass of Mt. Nibel.

"Where is she going?" Claire's sister asks.

"Over the mountain.." I answer as I watch her friends turn back, one by one, leaving only me in her wake.

All I can do is watch as the young Tifa looses her footing on the mountain and me as a child rush after her. I know the outcome, but I'm still miming to my younger self to run faster. I watch as I dive to the edge, just as Tifa's grip fails her, and we both fall off the cliff's edge.

"Oh my gosh!" Serah gasps.

At the bottom of the mountain, Tifa's father and one of his friends eventually find us, as I slowly start to come around. I still remember the man roaring at me.

" _Cloud! Why'd you bring Tifa to a place like this?! What the hell's the matter with you!? What if she dies!?" Tifa's dad shouts at the younger me._

"Back then I got away with some scarred knees.. But not Tifa... She was in a coma for seven days.. We all thought she wouldn't make it.." I tell Serah.

"But it wasn't your fault!" She shouts.

"I wasn't quick enough.."

"All of her so called friends abandoned her on the mountain! You stayed with her and ended up falling off the edge! It could quite easily have been you who was badly hurt!" Serah shouts at me.

"I was so angry.. Angry at myself for my weakness.. Ever since then, I felt like Tifa blamed me.."I say softly. "I got into fights, not caring who it was.. That was the first time I heard about Sephiroth.."

"That's the man with the long, silver hair?"

"Yeah.. I thought If I could get strong like Sephiroth, then everyone might.." I say, unable to finish the sentence.

We're pulled from the vision and returned to the golden time gate, which hums quietly, waiting for our touch. I reach out my hand, but it's pushed back down by Serah, who wraps her arms around me and squeezes tightly.

"What was that for?" I ask, as she finally released me.

"I want you to know that people care about you, and that things sometimes happen that are out of your control.. I want to fix the timeline.. If this journey kills me, then that's the way it is. It won't be your fault, or Noels."

"Thanks, Serah." I smile. "But I'm not going back to Claire with out you- Alive and kicking.."

"Hey, before we go back.. Could you tell me about my sister? How did you meet her?"

"She was inside a tank full of Mako- It's a liquid that life comes from." I add, seeing her confused face. "I broke into Shinra's HQ to rescue a friend, but I couldn't just leave her there.. I broke her out and escaped the city, but your sister was still in a coma. Being Submerged in Mako usually damages the brain.. She was in a coma. I carried her to the next town and left her in a hotel, in the hopes that if she woke up, she could start a new life."

"You carried a stranger, miles and miles to safety even though they were probably never going to wake up?" Serah asks.

"Yeah.. I couldn't just leave her there.. But I was trying to find Sephiroth to stop him. It was too dangerous to take her with me, so I made sure she had somewhere I stay and enough money to start a new life.. What I didn't know is that your sister is stubborn." I smile to myself. "She woke up and walked half way across the world to find me."

"That sounds like Light." Serah laughs. "You've been together ever since?"

"Er.. Well actually, it wasn't as simple as that.. At one point your sister tried to kill me."

"What?! Why!?" The young Farron says in disbelief.

"I think being on a new world was too much for her to take in.. She thought I was something called Orphan.. A Fal'cie, or something.."

"I see.. How did she get back here though?"

I open my mouth to speak, but I stop myself before the words escape. I did not want her to know about Sephiroth's control over her, or Aeris death. Claire was Serah's rock. Her guardian angel. And I would not want to taint that image she has of her sister, even if none of it was her fault.

"Come on, let's go and save Noel from Mog." I smile.

 **A/N: I must have re-written this chapter about ten times. The part of Cloud's past was a little too Cloud x Tifa for me so I kept redoing it. Really excited for the next chapter. Can anyone guess why?**

 **Sorry for the delay, and thanks for reading.**

 **Wolf**


	40. The Cold Heart Of Chaos

**Cloud's POV**

When we return through the gate, I find that the paradox has receded to reveal the ruins of a small, dusty town. In the distance I see Cocoon, glistening in the sun as it is held in the sky by a crystal thread. It was probably fifty meters wide, but from here, the crystal pillar looks no thicker than a spider's silk. To think that the lives of thousands of people below could be ended in an instant if it where to ever shatter...

For the first time since I got here, my mind turned too my friends.. I wonder how they're doing, and how I'd ever be able to face them again if I was given the chance. To them, I was Cloud Strife, Soldier, First class.. But that was nothing more than an illusion.. A dream that does not belong to me. There's still many things that I don't know about my past, but the journey I've been forced on seems intent on revealing them to me, whether I like it or not.

"You two have fun?" Noel asks.

I ignore the hunter and walk down the sand covered road, as Serah shakes her head at him; silently telling him not to mention it again. It becomes clear after a few minutes that the place had not had occupants for quite some time. Everything was derelict, and rust had eaten through most of the metal structures. It did however look relatively modern. There where telephone and power lines running across the town, as well as the remains of an overpass that once spanned over a vast lake.

The road we're stood on seems to be the highest point of the town, and a broken wall to the right gives us access to the roof of one of the buildings below. I stand on it with great caution, but it seems solid enough, so I signal to the others that it was safe, and walk across it, towards a wooden walkway, which runs around the outside of an adjoining building. We make our way around, weaving in an out of metal containers, which are scattered along the walkway, until stairs lead us to the center of town.

"I don't believe it.." I sigh.

"What's wrong?" Noel asks.

I don't even have the will to say it.. Instead, I just point to the strange chocobo woman, who is waving at me from the other end of town. How is it possible that she's everywhere I go? She doesn't seem to be using the gates, and seems to have no goal other than to make some Gil. Serah and Noel find it funny that this woman bothers me so much, never questioning her motives..

"You don't get on with happy, smiley people, do you?" Noel asks, but I feel like the question is rhetorical.

"I'm going to search this place. Don't wander off too far." I warn.

"We wont." Serah says. "Come on Noel."

I watch them head straight for the feathered saleswoman as I head into the building that the wooden walkway snaked around. There was little in the way of a front wall, never mind a front door, but I decide to check it out anyway. The room was pretty barren, except for a table in the corner, which was protected from the elements. Several sheets of paper are scattered across it's dusty surface, but only one isn't completely faded. It was a map, labeled Oerba; and after a quick study of it, it became clear that it was a map of the place we where stood in.

"Oerba.. I've heard of that place before.." I tell myself before heading outside to find the others.

To my relief, the pair had began to head back towards me, leaving Chocolina in the distance. I wait for them to make it to me, but before I can say anything, Serah shouts across town.

"I know where we are!" She shouts as she makes her way to me. "Chocolina told me."

"Oerba, I know." I answer.

"Hey, how did you know that?" Serah says, looking confused.

"I found a map.. Why do I know this place? I mean, it's name." I ask.

"This is where Fang and Vanille are from." The pinkette tells me.

"The two who are inside the pillar?" Noel asks.

"Yeah..."

"Come on, let's keep looking. There must be a gate around here somewhere." I tell the others.

I lead us to a strange shaped building across the square, which had curved walls and was painted yellow and white. The pod like structure had a set of metallic stairs heading to a high door, which held strong, despite the corrosion that began to form on it's hinges. We go inside, searching through the room which looked like someones home, but after a brief rummage, I find nothing of any use. All that remained were a bunch of empty burlap sacks, and dust covered shelves that contained a moth eaten chocobo doll.

"Look, Kupo!" Mog shouts, holding up a broken picture frame.

"It's Fang and Vanille!" Serah shouts, as she takes the frame from the Moogle and shakes off the glass.

"...She's just a kid.." I say, pointing to the younger of the two girls in the picture. "She's literally got the weight of the world on her shoulders.."

"Maybe if we can fix the paradoxes, we can rescue them from the pillar." Noel says optimistically.

"Yeah, maybe." I say, knowing that reality was rarely that simple. "Mog, can you find a gate?"

"Yes Sir! Kupo!" The Moogle salutes as he flutters out of the door.

The three of us chase after the little Moogle as he leads us back up a ramp but I stop at the sound of something moving behind me. It takes a while, but I spot a small, box like robot lingering in the shadows of the building. I move closer, crouching down beside it and reach my hand out to touch it's metal shell. The moment I do, I get the briefest of images. One of Claire stood over Vanille, Fang and a dark skinned man with her arms crossed impatiently as the fiddle with the robot. The vision lasts for less than a second, but seeing Claire fills me with hope.

"You okay down there?" Noel shouts from the road above.

"Yeah! On my way!" I shout back before jogging to them.

Mog leads us past some storage buildings with rusted roller shutters, and down a set of steps that run down the side of a stone building. The steps bear right, following the wall of the building, and my eyes fall on a structure below which has a rooftop garden; the only source of colour around. I take the lead as we end up on a sandy path that is broken up by thick tree roots that sprout through the walls and the ground. My eyes scan the horizon, and quickly find the gate in the distance, half concealed by broken pillars.

"Found it." I say victoriously.

"We still need an artifact though." Serah reminds me.

"There must be one around here somewhere." I say.

Right next to the gate are a set of ornate stone steps that lead onto a tiny beach, but it wasn't the windmill filled water that had my attention. The wooden building with the flowers on the roof was built half on the sand, half in the ocean, and with little left to explore in the ruins, I head there quickly. Like the rest of the buildings here, age had not been kind to them, and the rotten floorboards creaked with every step. I climb the stairs carefully, finally emerging through the roof that contained colourful flower beds that reminded me of Aeris' church. I had no idea how the flowers thrived so well without human attention in such a dusty climate, but as I walk past the broken apex windows that looked down to the floor below, my attention was quickly diverted.

"An Oracle drive." I say, quickly gaining the attention of the others, who had just walked up the stairs.

"You're right." Serah says, as she walks over to it and extends her hand out to touch it.

"Stop." A soft voice says, making us all turn around quickly, but it was too late. Serah had touched the Oracle drive.

The strange device begins to give of an aura, which quickly turns into a recording which plays overhead. My heart skips a beat when Claire appears, looking up on a crystalline Cocoon. She was smiling.. What I wouldn't give to see that smile again.. I watch as she hugs her sister tightly, before a large, blonde man tells her that they have a wedding to plan. He swears to Claire that he'll make Serah happy, and a smiling Claire tells him that she believes him. I can't help but smile to myself as I watch the recording, but that smile is quickly vanquished by the face of Caius, followed by the sight of Claire being dragged to my world by Hojo and his machines. The image ends with the shattering of the pillar, and Cocoon falling down to Pulse leaving behind Caius.

"The prophecy.. It's been changed.." Serah says, dropping to her knees.

"But, that's impossible.." Noel utters.

"If you change the future, you change the past." I hear Caius' voice.

"It keeps changing?" Serah asks as my anger for the man builds.

"Change is the constant." The image of Caius says with a smirk as he turns to face us, but as his blade rips through the aura, it becomes clear that the man was actually here.

"Caius!" Noel growls as I draw my weapon.

"I have seen you. I have seen you both." A young girl Noel calls Yeul says with a toneless voice.

"What? You mean the Seeress?" Serah asks.

"I am not the Yeul you know." She tells the hunter, before returning to the purple haired man's side.

"You must understand. There are many Yeuls." Caius tells us.

"What have you done with Lightning!" I roar, taking my place between him and Serah.

"I learned of your journey. Leaping back and forth along the timeline. Yeul has been watching everything you do." He says, refusing to answer my question.

"No, she's been watching us?" The hunter says with concern.

"Yes. I see you understand the significance of that.. Then you must also understand that I am here for a reason. Your actions have necessitated the strictest of sanctions." 

"Answer me!" I roar, charging at the man.

The purple haired man holds his sword with a back handed grip, aiming the demonic eye on the weapon's hilt at me. Chaos erupts out of his weapon, burning into my skin, but I'm spurred on by rage and slash at the man, knocking him down to the beach below.

"Impressive." Caius grins as I leap off the building, onto the small stretch of sand. "But to fight your fate is futile.."

"I got your fate right here.." I growl, calling upon the power of my materia.

Just like the last time, he underestimates me and allows me to land bolt after bolt of lightning, which makes him stagger up the shoreline. Dragging my blade through the sand, I rush after the Seeress' guardian and attempt to cleave him in half, but his demonic weapon manages to lock with my own before it finds his flesh.

"You evil son of a bitch! Answer me!" I roar. "What have you done with Lightning!?"

"Lightning is dead. I killed her with my own hands.."

My heart sinks as he says the words, and I feel like I'm about to be sick, but that feeling of devastation quickly turns to an unrelenting anger that poisons my soul with darkness. Without warning, I leap into the air and bring my blade crashing down onto his own wit so much force it knocks the man onto his back. He rolls backwards in the sand, narrowly avoiding my followup cross slash, but I was far from finished. I feel my power grow with my rage, and although he's out of my sword's reach, I send a beam of blue energy directly towards him which explodes on the face of his sword. The sand settles, revealing a large crater and a weakened Caius, who's feathered bandanna is now smoldering.

Staggered slightly, Caius drags his sword in front of him as I continue my assault. He parries my slashes and manages to cut into my wrist with his peculiar shaped blade, causing me to drop the buster sword. The man smiles, thinking he's won, but I roll under his slash and punch him across the face as my hand finds Claire's survival knife, which I stick into his back and pull it up through his shoulder blades. Crimson blood drips from his suit and onto the sand, yet he seems unphased as I go to retrieve my sword.

"You've taken everything from me, but I will stop you.." I tell him.

"What makes your crusade more righteous than mine?" Caius asks. "You and Lightning doomed the world to this fate, and now you are molding the timeline to your own selfish desires.. You must pay for your crimes in blood..."

 **Serah's POV**

It all happened so fast, but the anger in Cloud's eyes was clear to see. The man Noel referred to as Caius had attacked, but the blonde just ran through the blast of deep purple energy and knocked him off the roof. I turn to Yeul, who looks concerned for her guardian, and I don't blame her. Time and time again, Cloud has proven to have inhuman strength, and the fact that it was Caius who was fighting my sister seems to have awoken something dark and frightening inside the man. He jumps off the roof, down onto the sand, and I rush to the edge with my bow at the ready.

"I got your fate right here.." I hear Cloud growl as he hammers the purple eyed man with wave after wave of lightning bolts.

It seems clear that Cloud has the upper hand as Caius stumbles back, but the blonde doesn't relent and charges at his foe. I find myself wincing as I expect to see Cloud cut the man in half, but their swords find each other instead with the loud chime of steel. Again, he demands an answer about my sister, and this time he gets the answer I'd hoped to never hear.

"Lightning is dead. I killed her with my own hands." He tells the blonde, and I feel something die inside of me.

I'm left, frozen on the spot as my mind races.. I'm looking down at Cloud; who's anger fuels his fighting ability, but my mind is on my sister. Was Caius telling the truth? Would I never see you again?

"Noel, what do we do?" I ask, snapping out of my heartbreak. "I can't risk shooting, they're too close."

"... I can't believe he's here.." Was the only response I received.

"It is my duty to stamp out the paradox. It is the only way." Caius tells the blonde.

"I won't let you!" Cloud roars back.

This time it's Caius who slashes wildly at Cloud; who for the first time looks like he's struggling. The pair of them trade blows, yet it was the purple haired man who was even more savage than my spiky haired friend. His evil looking sword moves so fast it's just a blur to my eyes. Cloud is spun around with one of Caius' strikes, and crimson blood drips from a fresh cut in his cheek. I don't know what I was going to do to help, but one thing was for sure. I would not let him fight alone.

I turn around to head towards the stairs as the wooden floorboards explode in front of me. Noel covers me from the splinters and I can't believe my eyes when if find it was Cloud who had been thrown through the floor from the sand below. I race over to him and help pull him back to his feet, but a shadow behind me sends me into panic. Mog quickly switches from a bow to a sword, and I'm able to redirect Caius' attack away from us as Noel stands between us with both swords drawn.

"Stop this, Caius. I'm not going to fight you." Noel tells the man who has jumped back onto the roof.

"Times have changed. I'm not the Caius you once knew." Yeul's guardian tells him as he paces menacingly towards us. "To change history is a sin.."

My sword hand trembles with every step Caius takes towards us, and I find myself slowly edging back across the rooftop. The purple haired man raises his sword in the air as it begins to emit the dark energy that seems to be the source of his power, but Cloud catches him off guard and tackles the man, sending them both through what was left of the broken apex windows and into the building below.

"Cloud!" I shout as I peer down into the darkness.

The splintering of wood and the creek of the rusty steel steps echo through the now hole riddled roof. To our horror, Caius marches back to us alone, and with no sign of Cloud, I know I have little time left.

"It's too late." Yeul says softly as she takes in the smell of one of the many flowers growing on the roof. "The timeline has already changed."

"But, must we accept this, Yeul?" Stopping his advance in an instant and kneeling before the young girls as if she was royalty.

All she does is give a gentle nod, but it was enough to make the powerful man stand down and wait patiently for her to finish.

"If you change the future, you change the past. You can remould history as your heart desires." Yuel tells me.

"Let's go now, before you are made to witness more.." Caius says with worry.

The pair begin to walk away, and her guardian waves his hand in front of himself, opening up a golden portal that resembles the aura from the time gates. I breathe a sigh of relief, but it's short lived when I here we animal like roar from below as Cloud leaps through the hole where the window once stood.

"You.." He growls as he stomps over to Noel. "What the hell was that!? You said you wouldn't fight him and you clearly knew him!"

"He's-" Was all the hunter could manage before Cloud began to mercilessly hack Noel, who needed both of his swords to block the blonde's anger filled swings, but even so, he was eventually disarmed. He tries desperately to get away, but Cloud grips him by the throat and begins to squeeze the life out of him with terrifying strength. Without thinking, I rush over and wedge myself between the two, knowing full well that I offered little to no resistance.

"Cloud, Please!" I plead. "Please stop!"

Cloud doesn't respond instantly, causing the hunter to almost turn blue, but his eyes eventually find mine and he drops Noel, who collapses to the ground and wheezes loudly.

"Caius killed Claire, and HE let him get away!" He roars.

"That's your answer to everything.. Kill it.." Noel coughs. "You don't care about people. You don't care about life. When you're the last person to ever be born, you appreciate life more than most.. You.. You're just a monster.."

"You know nothing about what I feel.." Cloud growls. "...But I will tear down the sky if that's what it takes to bring Claire back.." He adds before stomping off angrily.

I'm left caught between a rock and a hard place. Noel's compassion for life was a warming thing to see, but Cloud's relentless determination to save my sister reminds me how powerful love can be, even if it is dragging him down a dark path.. I didn't see either of them as being in the wrong, and if I did I wasn't going to take sides and cause an even bigger rift between the group. Instead, I look onto the vast body of water and think about what Caius told Cloud.. Are we really the bad ones in all of this? Am I being selfish, and doing harm to the world?

 **Tifa's POV**

"It wont open!" I hear Barret shout through the gas chamber door after a brief ruckus outside.

"Gas!" I shout as an acrid fog pours from the vent above me. "Barret, help!"

"Hold your breath! Hold it as long as you can!" He shouts between hammering on the door.

I hear him curse as I struggle with my bindings, desperately trying to free myself. Even with my breath held, I feel the gas burning the inside of my nose, determined to find its way into my lungs. Is this how I'm to die? A martyr for a crime I tried to prevent? I thought we would be strong enough to make it through this, but without Cloud, death seems an unavoidable fate. People say in death, your life flashes before your eyes, but for me it was my many regrets. I know I did it to protect him, but not telling Cloud the truth about our past was all I could think of in my final moments. If he's still alive, I hope one day he can forgive me... I close my eyes briefly and let out a sigh. I had at most a minute before I had to take a breath, and a part of me just wanted to get on with it, but when I finally lower my head in defeat, I see fate has another plan for me.

"The key!" I say in disbelief as my future begins to look slightly less bleak.

With a new found determination, I slide my self as far off the chair as my tethered arms would allow, and try to drag the key towards me with my boots. I curse my short stature, which lacks the extra inch I need to reach the key, but with time not on my side, I twist my shoulder until I hear a pop, which is accompanied by a piercing pain. Biting down on my tongue, I slide down another inch, despite my dislocated shoulder screaming at me to stop and the key is soon dragged back to the base of my chair. The last of my air is forced out of my lungs, but I fight the instinct to breath in and grip the key between my boots, and with flexibility worthy of a contortionist, I manage to get the key into my mouth. Fumbling the key into the shackle on my wrist, I manage to free my left arm, and I can't help but smile, knowing that I was almost home free.

With not a second to spare, I manage to free myself from my chains and hammer the emergency stop switch, which also activated an extractor fan, sucking out all of the toxic gas. My body gives in to its instincts and I'm forced to take a breath, which burns my lungs like acid. But with every breath, the pain alleviates and after a minute I'm fine, despite still being trapped inside this room. With the immanent threat of dying over, I finally notice the sound of artillery fire echoing outside.

"Must be weapon.." I tell myself as I examine the room for an exit.

No sooner had the words left my mouth had the building started to shake. The metallic room I was in was superheated briefly as the roof bust open, revealing a blue sky I never thought I would see again. Seconds later, a huge bang goes off outside, and the ground shook enough to knock me off my feet. Quickly climbing back to my feet, I scramble up the wall and my heart skips a beat as I realize just how high up I was. I almost go to climb back into the chamber, but the door bursts open and the Shinra tart rushes into the room with two trigger happy guards, who open fire the second they see me. With all other options taken away from me, I begin to climb down the outside of the colossal structure, knowing that one wrong move would reunite me with the death I had only just evaded..

 **Cloud's POV**

I start walking across the sand and up the ornate stone steps past the gate to nowhere in particular. I just needed to be on my own for a while.. Making my way through the ghost town, I find myself at the small group of buildings in the corner of town with rusted roller shutters. Picking the nearest one, I lift up the shutter half way up and duck under it. I don't make it a single step into the darkness before my composure fails me and my back slides down the nearest wall. My prized possession; the buster sword, falls from my grip and I bury my head in my hands.

"I never made Soldier.. I never became Tifa's hero... I couldn't save Aeris... I put my friends in danger.. And now I've lost you too.." I sob. "I can't do this anymore.. I can't protect anyone.."

I hear the sound of footsteps outside, and I sink my face into my knees, folding my arms around my legs to seal my face from the others. Gentle steps echo in the damp concrete room, and without needed to look, I know its Serah who's now sat beside me. She says nothing, but rests her head on my arm, which his still wrapped tightly around my scrunched up legs.

 **A/N: Well Cloud has just hit rock bottom, and his already abrasive relationship with Noel has taken a turn for the worse. I quite like psycho, angry Cloud, so he can stay for a little longer lol.**

 **There was several of those puzzle paradoxes in Oerba, but I decided to just have the one to reveal the whole map because I don't want Cloud's past to be wrapped up so soon. I want Cloud and Serah to slowly discover what really happened to him.**


	41. The Heart Of Dispair

**Serah's POV**

It was a strange feeling.. I had accepted for so long that my sister was gone, but to be given new hope only to have it snatched away so quickly broke my heart. Still.. I find myself trying to comfort the man I'd only known for a few days.. The Cloud I was resting on now was a far cry from the frightening fighter that kept Caius at bay. He sat in the dark corner, like a wounded animal, just waiting to die, and I didn't need to see those eerie blue eyes to know they were streaming with tears that I expect didn't fall readily.

My mouth opens a few times, but no words escape. I can't think of a single thing that would make things better, so I just lean on him, finding comfort in his presence. My mind wanders to Light and our childhood. I always loved my sister and was grateful for her taking care of me when mom and dad died, but now, in this dark room, I finally take in the many sacrifices she had made to give me a life better than she was dealt.

"She did so much for me.." The words take me by surprise as they blurt out of my mouth. "I don't know if she told you, but our parents died when we where young.. Dad died soon after I was born, and mom when I was twelve.." I continue, as I watch Cloud's watering eyes peer over his arms. "They tried to separate us, but Light refused.. She demanded that they classified her as an adult, and she took care of me every day.. She dropped out of school, but made sure I went every day.. Walked me there every morning, and was there waiting when I finished- I remember one time, one of the older boys that was in the year Light would have been in, tried to take my bag from me after school.. Light broke his nose, even though she could barely reach his face." I let out a laugh. "Nobody ever bothered me after that.."

"Claire saved my life once.. I was poisoned.. I'd collapsed and stopped breathing. She gave me CPR and kept me alive until Nanaki brought the cure.. She was so angry at me when I woke up." The blonde lets out a brief laugh. "..She hid her feelings through annoyance.. I wish I realized sooner just how I felt about her.."

"Kupo..." I hear Mog mutter softly, as we spot the pink glow of his antenna peek under the half open shutter. "Noel's sad, Kupo.."

"Cloud, will you still help us try to fix the timeline?" I ask him, initially receiving no response.

"...Claire would want me to keep you safe.." He answers.

"You know this isn't Noel's fault, right?" I question, still concerned at what would happen if the pair were brought back together.

"I know.. It was mine.." He says, standing up and ducking under the shutter.

"Hey, that's not what I meant!" I shout after him.

I follow the disheartened man outside, pacing towards Noel, who quickly notices him and takes a step back, widening his stance as he expects an attack. Also fearing that Cloud's anger towards the hunter had not yet settled, I rush after him and walk shoulder to shoulder, silently telling him that I'd get in the way if I had to. Cloud stops a few feet away from Noel, who for the first time since I'd met him looks genuinely terrified. To both of our surprises, the blonde offers a hand to Noel, who hesitantly shakes it. His eyes are still filled with anger, but I think he's setting aside his differences for Claire, and in turn, me. Still.. I won't be leaving the two of them alone for any considerable time..

"I, uh... I got the gate key.." Noel says sheepishly as he raises the crystal artifact up for us all to see.

Cloud takes it without so much as a grunt of thanks and walks robotically back through town towards the gate. Noel glances at me and mimes the words 'are you okay?'. I give him a nod and a smile, but I have to turn away and march after the blonde so I can blink out the tears from my eyes without showing weakness. Perhaps over the years, my big sister had more of an influence on me than I thought.. My initial reaction was concern for Cloud, but now it's settled, the soul destroying fact that I'd never see my sister again sucked out the hope I'd held onto for so long.

We walk to the gate in silence. Even Chocolina suppresses her happy grin and instead has her gaze fixed firmly on the ground as Cloud passes. Whether she overheard Caius, or just sensed something was wrong from our expressions, she kept to herself. When we reach the gate, Cloud offers up the artifact to the gate, activating it. He steps through without so much as a second glance to anything else, and I follow, with Noel and Mog in my wake.

"It's sent us back to Yaschas Massif.." I say as I emerge from the gate. "Paddra is that way."

"Wait.. Something's different.." Noel says as he scans the area cautiously.

"...The eclipse is gone.." Cloud says, barely louder than a whisper, never stopping as soon as his boots touched down on the grass.

"History has changed." Noel surmises.

"If the paradox never happened, maybe Hope never had any reason to come here." I say, wondering what we'd find.

"There's still the oracle drive. Maybe that's enough to draw him here." The hunter says. "Only one way to find out.."

I walk along side Noel, with Mog wrapped tightly in my arms. He usually doesn't like being constrained, but I think it's his way of comforting me. Cloud marches on in front, fondling my sisters knife in his hand; opening the blade and flipping it around subconsciously before folding it back and repeating the process. Noel takes a step forward and goes to attempt a conversation with the blonde, but I place my hand on his arm and shake my head. He nods in understanding but looks disappointed. Usually I'd be the first to get people to take things though and resolve their issues, but not with Cloud.. an incalculable power and a frail heart is a dangerous combination..

 **Cloud's POV**

I walk through the grassy corridors, now without the need for street lighting. The monsters where few and far between, not having the shadows to stalk their prey, but never the less the ones that where looking for a quick meal remain at a distance, probably sensing the near uncontrollable anger that was tearing my heart apart. I look down at my hand to find Claire's knife held tightly in my grip. I had no idea how long I'd been holding it for, but playing with it gives me a little comfort. Wiping the blood of the man that I failed to kill off it's razor sharp edge, I continue to roll it around in my fingers as we approach the city that reveals itself as I round the final corner.

"Welcome home." I hear the soft, monotone voice of Yeul, instantly putting me on the lookout for Caius.

"Kupo!"

"How did you...?" Noel begins.

"Yeul.." Serah says, stopping just a few steps away from the young girl. "Did you come through the gate, too?"

"The one you met was a different Yeul, a Yeul from the future." The young girl explains. 

"So, you don't know me either.." The hunter says, his words dripping with disappointment.

"I know about you. I've been watching you three."

"You can see the future, can't you?" Serah asks.

"I can trace the timeline. I see the future, and lead others along the correct path. I came here to confirm something I already know." She says, and I can't help but notice a faint glow flash across her eyes as she points to Serah. "You and I are the same."

"What do you mean?"

"You, too, can show others the way." The Seeress tells the pinkette before leaving.

A part of me wanted to drag the young girl back and make her tell me where Caius is, but she was just a kid, no older than Yuffie. I grit my teeth and watch the young girl limp back into the wildlands.

"It looks like Yeul lives in this time, too." Noel says to nobody in particular.

"Noel, are you okay?" Serah asks him.

"Yeah. It was just so.. Unexpected. Threw me for a loop."

"She said I was the same as her. I wonder what she meant by that."

"Maybe your job is to show us the true timeline." The hunter offers a suggestion.

It seemed pointless to make assumptions, but what Yeul said ran through my mind. Would Serah have the same fate as the Seeress'? Would this be another death I could not prevent? I decide not to tell her my thoughts, but she's a smart girl.. Perhaps she already knows an is just putting on a brave face. Another trait she seems to have adopted from her sister.. That's when I remember the Oracle drive. If a vision of an impossible future is the only way of seeing her again, then I'm going to take it.

"Let's go." I say, realizing that it was the first time I had spoken for quite some time.

The others nod in agreement, and we make our way down, through the lower outskirts of the city that was used for storage. The sight of Academy researchers was a positive sign that the Oracle drive would still be where it was, so my slow walk turns into a quick march up to the command center 'tent' that sits atop a high verge. To Serah's relief, Hope stood waiting at the foot of the ramp with Alyssa, leading to the Oracle drive, but after a brief exchange of words it had become apparent that with the paradox solved, our original meeting with the young man had not taken place.

Serah explains to Hope that his memories had been altered because of our intervention with the paradoxes, and he does not question her at all. I was unsure whether it was because he understood it was possible, or that he trusted Serah that much he would have believed anything she told him. Either way, Hope tells us he wants to show us something, and activates the Oracle drive.

The vision forms above us like the last time, but the image was much clearer. I watch Claire atop Odin with her trademark defiant look plastered across her face. I can't help but smile at the sight of her, but the realization that a recording was all that I'd ever see wipes it quickly from my face.

"This is a recording from the future. We're unable to identify the location or the circumstances. There is one thing we're sure about, however. And remember, we don't know what era this is.. Lightning is alive in that place." Hope tells us, and I almost want to swing for him for being wrong, but I feel something shake my shoulder violently.

"Cloud, she's alive! We can still get to her! All of us!" Noel shouts as he shakes my shoulder like an excitable child. I say nothing, but my glare tells him I want an explanation.

"Noel..." Serah says softly, also not wanting to get her hopes dashed.

"No, you don't understand! We fixed the paradox, so what your seeing here IS the current future. And in it, Lightning is still alive!" Noel grins.

"Your saying that fixing the paradox changed time and saved Claire?" I ask, determined not to get my hopes up.

"Maybe. Or maybe Caius didn't kill her at all. He seems to be in all of the eras, so maybe there are many of him, like there are many Yeuls. I know Caius and Yeul, but the ones we met had no idea who I was."

"Hope, is that possible?" Serah asks.

"Yes. I'm almost certain that the images shown in these devices are the true timeline, so Light is alive. I know nothing of Caius and Yeul however.." Hope answers. "She's out there."

"Then I'm going to find her." Serah says with new found determination.

"And you will find her, Serah. After all, you traveled through time and found me." Hope smiles. "Many years of research have finally borne fruit."

"Director!" Alyssa shouts, pointing to the Oracle drive, which turns itself on of its own accord.

Again, I'm shown the image of Claire, waging war with Caius. But this time, the purple haired demon throws his hand out and opens up a portal. Through the opening in space time stands the crystallized home of Claire. The image flickers briefly, but it's clear enough to see the crystal pillar shatter, and Cocoon fall to the ground as Caius smirks triumphantly.

"Caius!" Noel growls.

"What happened? Did the prophecy get rewritten?" Alyssa asks.

"Not necessarily rewritten. It could be the original prophecy, restored as it once was." Hope guesses. "Perhaps a continuation of the first recording."

"If this is showing us the future, then someday Cocoon will fall." Serah replies grimly. "Noel, you told me in your time, Cocoon doesn't exist like it does now."

"Yeah. It came to ground long before I was born. After it happened, the whole world just fell apart pretty much."

"But it doesn't have to happen. We can change the future!" Serah pleads. "We can stop Cocoon from falling, and make your world a better place."

"Yeah, but how? You think you can go to the time when it falls and hold it up yourselves?" Alyssa questions, and I can't help but notice the negativity in her tone. "Do you even have a gate to take you there?"

"It might not be necessary to travel to the specific time and place." Hope interjects.

"How so?" I ask.

"The future depends on what we do now, right? Yes there is a chance Cocoon will fall, but we can start working now to prevent it from happening."

"But what if you can't, Hope." Noel asks, beating me to it.

"We can at least work to mitigate the damage. If we begin our research now, we have time." Hope explains. "Then if Cocoon should fall, we can help protect the planet and save the victims."

"Okay, lets do it. We can try to solve things on the other end, in the future.. While you start preparing in the here and now." The hunter suggests.

"Yes, lets change the future." Hope nods.

"If you change the future.." Serah mumbles, catching my attention.

"Serah?" I frown as she looks though me.

"It's nothing, just a little tired.." She sighs.

"Then before you leave, take some rest. There's accommodation on the other side of the city. I'll have someone prepare rooms."

"Thanks, Hope." The hunter says gratefully.

We follow Serah to the edge of the lofty plain that the command center was built on, ready to make our way down and across the city to the beds that called out to our aching bodies, but she pauses and looks up into the no longer blackened sky.

"You know, I started this journey hoping to find my sister.. But now, I want more.. I want to safe the future." She tells us.

"So do I Serah, so do I.." Noel agrees.

The pair look to me, and I'm hesitant to give a response. I'd never tell them, but ever since I fought Caius, I thought about his words.. I know that it was a selfish desire to save Claire, and to ignore the paradoxes. Setting my sights on the pinkette could doom a whole world full of people.. Even so, I'd choose saving her every time, and that frightened me.. I know this world and it's people are nothing to me, but to risk the lives of thousands of people for the sake of a single woman started up an internal conflict I don't think I can resolve.

"Let's get some rest." Is all I can say, as I take the lead.

Serah looks mildly disappointed with my response, and a part of me is as well. But she should know by now that I'd made a promise to keep her safe until she got to Claire. If that meant following her through time then that's what I'd have to do. It takes us just a couple of minutes to reach the place we'd be sleeping. Like most of the Academy structures around the city, it was a temporary measure that was made of what looked like converted steel containers. Each one had a door and a window, but what was inside remained a mystery.

"Guests of Director Hope? Here are your rooms." A guard says, gesturing towards the end three 'rooms'.

"Thank you." Serah smiles. "Hey, take as long as you need. We'll go when you're ready." She adds, giving me a warm smile.

I smile back weakly and step inside the shipping container like room. To my surprise, the inside was modern and clean, despite being relatively bare. Everything in the room was brilliant white, which assisted in the fact that it had only one small window. In the corner was a bed with a small desk opposite, and on the other end of the room a small, walk in shower. I prop my sword up in the corner, and lay down on the bed without a seconds hesitation, in the hope that sleep would reunite me with Claire. Diving my hands into my pockets, I pull out Claire's survival knife and the white materia. With my eyes closed, I roll the warm orb around in my left hand and open and close the knife in my other until sleep claims me.

" _Claire?"_

" _Not this time, silly." I here Aeris' happy voice in the distance._

" _Oh.." I say, regretting my disappointed tone._

" _You're struggling?" She asks me._

" _Yeah... I thought she'd died today..I felt..lost.."_

" _That's because you have a big heart."_

" _Aeris, I don't know how much more of this I can take.. I feel so.. angry.. There's a darkness that is inside of me, and I'm scared about what happens when I get to the point where I can't put it back in it's box.."_

" _All you have to do is remember what you're fighting for."_

" _Is it selfish of me to say I'm fighting for Claire?"_

" _Every one of us decided to stop Sephiroth and save the world. But deep down, we all had our own reasons. Barret fought for Marlene, Yuffie fought for Wutai, Vincent fought with us to find Hojo.. We all had our reasons.. It didn't stop us finding a universal goal." Aeris tells me._

" _I have a question. Why did you give me the white materia?" I ask._

" _The white materia is used to summon Holy. It can be used stop Meteor."_

" _But Meteor is on our planet!.. Because of me.."_

" _It's got more than one function.. If the materia deems you worthy, you can bring someone back from the dead with it.. It can only be used once."_

" _Why didn't you tell me!? I could have saved you!"_

" _Hindsight is a wonderful thing.. An upside to the curse inflicted on all Seeress'. I saw somebody who needed it more than me."_

" _You saw... You're.."_

I sit bolt upright in the bed and pant heavily. The metallic smell of blood catches my senses before the pain does, and when I look down, I see my hand gripped tightly over the knife's blade. I fold the blade away and slump back down on the bed, listening to my heartbeat thunder in my ears and the occasional drop of blood run from my finger and onto the hard floor. Again, I was left questioning if it was all just a dream, but I'm left with more questions than answers. Was Aeris a Seeress? Did they even have Seeress' on my world? Not a single history book or even rumor mentioned them.. Perhaps the past few days have taken their toll on my mind as well as my body.. Pocketing the knife and the materia, I collect my sword from the corner and head outside. I had no idea how long I was asleep for, but Serah, Noel and Mog where waiting in the sun outside for me.

"Cloud, your hand!" Serah shouts, reminding my of my mother. "What did you do?"

"It's okay. I just had an accident." I say, healing it with my cure materia, more for the benefit of Serah than me. "So, where to?"

"While we've been sleeping, Mog has been out looking for artifacts, and he's found one." Serah says, praising the Moogle.

"Do we use the same gate?" I ask.

"No, Kupo. There's no more gates in the city. I felt a disturbance from the direction of the mountains, Kupo." Mog tells me.

"Well done, Mog." I nod to the surprise of the others. "Lead the way." 

Although at several points I was convinced the Moogle was lost, we make it to a newly discovered gate, deep in the mountains of Yaschas Massif. Offering up the artifact in an instant, the three of us are taken into the historia crux.

 **Caius's POV**

Under Yeul's instructions, I look down upon the three people that are causing her this pain. The gate closes, and my heart sinks when my Seeress sees her final vision and drops to her knees with a whimper. I support her back with my hand and sit her up from the damp grass, but all she does is reach out for my hand. I grip it tightly, knowing that this was goodbye. When I feel her relinquish her grip and her body wilt, I know that it is over...

"Yeul.." I say softly, hoping against an unchangeable destiny that she would respond. "How many times must I see this.."

After all of these years, and hundreds of Yeuls, the pain of loosing her never get's easier.. Taking them from the moment they utter their first word, and raising them, knowing all too well that she would never escape childhood ate away at my already decaying soul.. Every Yuel was different, and the same... It was like loosing a daughter, over and over again.. Part of me wished that the incarnate summon all those millennia would have killed me.. Instead, that foolish Goddess cursed me with immortality. Condemning me to watch the life of an innocent child be taken, over and over again...

Scooping her up in my arms, I carry her through the grassy pains as I plan to kill the Goddess..

"I know you do not wish it, but I shall free you from death.. Then I will have an eternity to seek your forgiveness.."

 **A/N: I almost want Caius to win lol.. Such a cool character despite being a massive hypocrite. Anyone any idea's as to how this is all going to play out yet?**

 **Glad you all enjoyed Caius vs Cloud and the emotional state he was in after. I know its a fantasy, but I like to try and make it as real as possible on that front. I think it makes you relate to the characters more, but maybe that's just me. You're right, Caius and Sephiroth tag team would be unstoppable. The unkillable duo.**

 **Also, I hear FF7 and FF15 could also be released on the new nintendo console the NX as well as the ps4. Seems to make a lot of sense considering Square and Nintendo finally patched up their relationship. Cloud in Smashbros was the first sign of mending bridges. Anyway... I have a ps4 so its irrelevant to me, but just thought I'd throw it out there in case you were interested.**

 **Hope you enjoyed chapter 41, let me know what you think**

 **Wolf**


	42. Lovers Reunion

**Cloud's POV**

My heart skips a beat when it spits me out at our next location. We'd finally made it to Valhalla, and there was not a thing that was going to keep me from Claire. By the time the others had landed behind me, I had already broken into a sprint, not letting any of the fallen columns slow me.

"Claire!" I roar, calling out into the ruins, praying for a response.

"Hey, wait up!" Serah shouts behind me.

"Cloud, stop!" Noel shouts, sounding concerned. "This isn't Valhalla!"

His words stop me dead in my tracks, and for the first time, take in the scenery as a whole. He was right.. I didn't see any of the abandoned buildings, or the temple that towered over the land. This was nothing more than fate laughing at me with it's cruel tricks.. What was the point in hope if it could be shattered so easily?...

"It looks the same, but it isn't Valhalla." Noel repeats.

"This is the rift between gate and gate. It's the void beyond, kupo." Mog tells us softly, not wanting to be the barer of bad news.

"So, are you saying that we're lost?" The pinkette asks, but I fear we all know the answer. "Finding my sister isn't gonna be easy.."

"We had a legend back home, about a Goddess.." Noel begins. "We hunters past the story down, from father to son. It gave us strength when times were tough."

"What was it?" Serah asks.

"Never give up, for the Goddess Etro watches always, and helps those who help themselves."

"Sounds more like common sense to me.." I grunt, earning a laugh from Serah.

"Haha, I guess so. But it helped us out when times were tough. Let's just keep telling ourselves that every time we go through a gate, we're getting closer to Lightning. Sound good?" The hunter says, and for the first time since I'd met him, was grateful for his positive words.

"Let's go back. Maybe it will spit us out somewhere useful." I order, returning to the golden vortex which was not contained by the metallic confines of the gate.

The others agree and step into the vortex one by one, leaving me alone. I take a step into the aura and turn around, taking one final glance, just to be sure. As I expected, Claire wasn't there, but as the void beyond blurs, I see a flash of glowing eyes in the distance. Pain floods my body, causing my to wince. I scan the ever vanishing world to find nothing, and seconds later I'm thrown onto damp grass.

 _Each reunion is a twist of the knife. The joy is ephemeral; it leaves fear in it's wake. A fear that all too soon the time will come when you must bid farewell again.. Yet you cannot help but long for the next encounter. Humanity's great frailty... We prefer past happiness to future uncertainty. The once clear future is now opaque to me.. But while I remember our past together, I pray that your future has me in it. - Lightning._

"Now that wasn't very graceful." Serah teases.

"This is the base of the pillar?" I say, looking up at the gigantic disco ball called Cocoon that lurks above us.

"Yeah. It's called the Sunleth Waterscape. It was once protected by the Fal'cie, but it seems to be flourishing on it's own." Noel tells me.

I look around the rain forest that was like nothing I had ever seen. Everything was on a massive scale, and a single tree was as thick as a Mako reactor. The deep roots weave in and out of the moist soil and around formations of shining crystal, which only adds to the place's beauty. The jungle was full of life. The sounds of birds flying through the leafy plateaus above and the sound of the wind whistling it's way through the crystal gave the place an air of tranquility. One sound stuck out above all else however, and it came from roots that ran down the edges of the grassy level the gate ejected us out onto.

"So, this is what the end of the world looks like." Noel says, peering over the edge at some strange creature that looks like a cross between a bomb from Mt. Corel and a slug.

"Are they going to destroy the planet?" Me and Serah say in disbelief.

"I don't know... But if the world does end here.. My future should never have happened. Which means there must be a way to stop them.."

I'm about to suggest killing them all, when the sound of Serah's knees hitting the floor draws our attention to her.

 **Serah's POV**

 _The daughters of the sundered Cocoon are sacrificed to beasts that warp time itself. The pillar crumbles to ashen sand, and down to earth Cocoon does fall._ I hear myself say, but the words are not mine.

I fall back, but my body lands in a set of arms as my eyes force themselves closed. It was Snow! Fighting and loosing against a huge Flan. My eyes shoot open and I launch myself out of Cloud's arms and onto my feet.

"No!" I scream, sprinting as fast as I could to where I though he would be.

"Wait! Serah! What's wrong?" Noel shouts, but I'm already racing through the undergrowth.

I leap off the edge of the grassy plain and down onto the thick roots of the nearest tree; something I'd never usually have attempted. It's strange how you find the courage when you have to. I know Cloud and Noel will want answers, but I hope leading them to Snow will be enough. Either way, without them, I doubt I'd be able to defeat that thing.

With every step, I get closer and closer to the pillar, and I beg my legs to go faster. I hear the sound of battle first, but the towering flan comes into my sight. It must have been eighty feet tall, and it's body oozed with an acid that ate away at the grass it stood on. Then finally, I see him. My hero..

"Snow!" I shout, holding my hand out for Mog to turn into my bow.

"Serah!" He shouts back in disbelief, but my distraction causes him to get knocked to the ground by the huge flan.

"Snow! Is that really you?" I ask when I finally reach him. "I-I can't believe it!"

"Serah? Am I dreamin' again?" He asks, cupping my face with his hand. Oh how I missed his touch. "Dream or not, you gotta get out of here." He adds, staggering back to his feet.

The flan swings it's gooey arm towards us, but Snow jumps in front of me. I can't look at what comes next. There was no way he could possibly hold off the monster's attack; or so I thought. My eyes open again after the impact, and I can't believe that Snow was able to stop the creature's limb dead. I'm ready to question how it was possible, when something strikes the flan from the heavens, filling the forest with blinding light and knocking us off our feet.

"The hell was that?!" I hear Noel say to Cloud as both of them walk towards us.

"Comet." The blonde answers with his usual monotone.

"Bit overkill wasn't it?"

"Apparently not." Cloud says, pointing to the huge flan, which was slowly beginning to reform.

"Thanks, Cloud." I smile as he stands defiantly between me and the monster.

"I'll give you a hand." Snow says, clenching his fists, but is stopped by Cloud, who puts his arm back, stopping Snow from following.

"No. I'll hold it off, you get out of here." The blonde says bluntly.

"Hey, you kiddin'? With Serah watching? I don't think so." Snow tells him, batting Cloud's hand out of the way.

"Fine, just stay out of my way." The blonde growls.

I glance at Noel, and we both share the same concern. These two are not going to get on one bit. Still.. For the time being at least, the huge Flan served as an unwelcome distraction. Cloud doesn't wait for the creature to fully regenerate and slashes at it's lower body, but it quickly becomes apparent that physical attacks were useless when the oozing flesh seals itself quicker than the blade can cut.

"Switch to magic!" Noel shouts, earning a nod from Cloud, who sends an icy blast at the flan.

"Good call, it's working." Cloud replies, and I can't help but smile, seeing them both getting on for a change.

"Get close, I'll cover you!" Snow shouts.

"Don't be a fool." Noel shakes his head.

"If he's got a death wish, leave him to it!" The blonde roars to Noel. "Let's go!"

Cloud and the hunter flank the monstrous flan, who looks confused. I continue to barrage it's body with ice arrows, drawing it's attention briefly; but that was all it needed to select me as it's primary target. Again, I'm left bracing myself for the flan's strike, but Snow stands his ground and blocks it again, leaving me speechless. It must have been like getting hit by a truck. How could he possibly stop it?

"This jelly bean's tickin' me off!" Noel shouts angrily as he rolls out of the way of it's flailing limb.

"His Royal Ripeness don't go down so easy!" Snow shouts to him.

"...I can't believe he named it.." I hear Cloud sigh, forcing me to suppress a laugh. "Lets go!"

"Yeah, we'll hit it hard and-" Snow begins.

"No, he means let's get out of here." Noel corrects him. "That way."

"Come on, Snow. Lets go!" I say, dragging my fiancee away.

We keep running until the flan looses interest in us and turns it's attention to the crystal pillar behind it. I feel awful for stopping, but I've come to trust Cloud's judgment; especially in battle. If he say's go, then there's a good reason. As soon as we stop running, everyone but Cloud was trying to catch their breath, but it was Noel who is the first to speak.

"Listen. Hotheads who can't back down don't last long on this planet." Noel scalds my hero.

"Maybe. But sometimes, you gotta take a stand."

"You're not listening to me. Humans aren't strong. They die easy." The hunter continues.

"Well some of us our tougher than others." Snow fires back, and I can't help but detect a little condescension in his voice.

 **Cloud's POV**

There was nothing human about what he could do. I remember Claire telling me about L'cie and their brands; and although he tried to keep it concealed behind the rolled up sleeves of his trench coat, I was sure that he had one. Although I'd never seen one, Claire's description was more than good enough to make me capable of identifying the black mass of arrows that stuck out on his arm. I think about saying something, but until I know exactly who he is.

"You got a name?" The big, blonde man asks Noel, only for him to turn and start walking away.

"Er... This is Noel. And that's Cloud." Serah say's pointing to me. "And this is Snow. We're getting married."

I have to quickly reel in my grin. It all makes sense now, and I'm genuinely surprised Claire had the restraint not to kill him. I'd only been with him for five minutes and his hot headed nature was already beginning to grate on me.

"It's on hold for now." Snow corrects her, making the pinkette's happy face drop.

"Somehow I didn't expect you to be such a hothead. All I hear is what a great guy Snow is. And look where you are, all the way here in the future." Noel continues to my surprise, it wasn't like him to get so angry.

"I'm sorry, who's the hot head? What where you thinkin', bringing Serah out here all the way in the future?" Snow questions.

"Enough." I growl. "Serah, explain to Snow what's happened. I'm gonna go scout the area."

"Okay, be careful." She smiles.

I walk towards the sound of tiny flan marching in line; using the tree roots as paths like ants. In truth, where the animated tomatoes are heading was just a mild curiosity that could of waited. But part of me hoped that when I had returned, one of them would have killed the other. Serah's fiancee or not, I have no desire to pick up another annoying passenger. Sitting for a moment in the peace, I follow the snaking path with my eyes, trying to find where the never ending spawn of flan were heading. The dense forest conceals their final route, so I stand again and notice another line of the orange creatures through the undergrowth on the opposite side. They all seem to be heading to the same place, giving me a new destination to head to. I'm about to return to the others when I look closely at that slimy trails. It was dissolving the crystals that where embedded into the trees.

"... And that's how we got here." I here Serah say as I make it back.

"Now it's your turn." Noel says, giving me a nod when he sport me approaching.

"You really wanna know?" Snow asks him with a sigh.

"I asked, didn't I?"

"Lightning appeared in my dreams, too. Can you believe it?"

"You saw Lightning?" Serah asks in disbelief.

"She told me I had to protect Cocoon. So I started jumping through time, checking things out. I learned that the giant jelly bean back there knocks down Cocoon."

"You mean that Flan we just fought?" The hunter questions.

"Yeah."

"According to the stories I heard, back in my own time, Cocoon was brought down by war."

"Well, there's more than just one cause." Snow replies.

"He's right." I interrupt. "That slimy crap it gives off is eating away at the crystal."

"That's right. Serah was sketchy on your story. What era are you from?" Snow asks.

"Same as Noel." I answer, giving him a quick glance. I had no desire to get into a 'me and Claire' discussion.

"Er, yeah.. We grew up together.. best of buds." Noel agrees reluctantly.

"Right, well.. over time, the crystal starts to melt and become brittle. People start to feel the tremors and panic. Next thing you know, everyone's fightin' each other." Snow explains.

"It's consistent with what I know, sort of." Noel concurs.

"I can't believe Lightning appeared in your dreams too. If she told you to protect the pillar, she must want you to save Vanille and Fang." The pinkette says.

"Like I said. I don't have a choice. It's my mission to stop that thing."

 **Tifa's POV**

The icy wind bites at my skin and tries to drag me from the wall. I can just about here Scarlet roaring at the soldiers to follow as I continue to make my way down the building. I'm shaking with fear, but I'm forced to look down so I can decide where to put my feet. A scream above echos in the wind, and one of the guards trying to catch me falls to his certain death. I look up to see if I can afford to slow down, but there's still one guard left. What's truly amazing however, was Scarlet war right behind, complete with high heels. She's an evil witch, but she's got some balls.

The tips of my fingers are pouring with blood as they cling to the building. I'm right above the cannon with about a hundred feet to go. Another guard falls to his death, but I only realize when I feel his fingertips brush down my arm like lightning. His body hits the cannon with so much force, he seems to burst like a water balloon, making me feel sick inside. I continue my descent, but it quickly becomes clear that I have a problem. The already slippery wall of the building sticks out past whats underneath it, leaving me with no option but to risk a thirty foot fall to the cannon.

I take a deep breath and try to think of Yuffie's 'ninja' skills. She always seemed to be able to take the high jumps in her stride. I remember what she said when trying to give Cid a lesson in something she called parkour. Let's just hope that this ends better than that did... I take a second to come to terms with the fact that this might be the last thing I ever do. Everything turned out so wrong. Cloud is missing, Aeris has- she's gone; Light's vanished.. Even if I decided not to go on this journey, the fall of the plate would have surely killed me. I know we all have to die sometime, but I'm not ready yet.. My hands surrender to their pain and I fall to the cannon like a brick. I keep telling myself I need to roll out of the fall like Yuffie does, but I was sure this was the end.

"Here goes nothing." I grumble to myself.

The second I feel my boots touch the metallic surface of the cannon, I tuck my right shoulder down and initiate a roll. I feel the rough metal surface take some skin off my shoulder as I roll, but when I'm back on my feet a second later, I feel like kissing Yuffie. Winded but otherwise fine, I look for a way down, only to find Scarlet descending on a rope.

"How the hell did she manage to get down here?" I ask myself as her slut red heels touch down gracefully.

With no other option, I start to run down the end of the cannon, which was still warm from the last time it was fired. A large block of milled steel sits on top of the barrel with the words 'Sister Ray' etched into it. I wonder how she got her way in naming it that. In fact, I've got a pretty good idea.. A shot rings out as I'm about twenty meters from the edge of the cannon, stopping me in my tracks.

"Our little game of hide and seek ends here." Scarlet scowls. "The execution may have been unsuccessful, but your death by falling and crashing into the water below might still be pretty exciting." She adds, walking towards me with the gun pointed at my chest. "Turn around."

"Can't shoot someone who's looking at you? Coward." I spit as I turn around. _Cloud, I'm sorry it had to end like this._

"Shoot you? No, that would be too quick. You're going to 'walk the plank' so to speak." She cackles. "Walk."

I remain still and close my eyes. There was no way I'd be jumping off that cannon, that's for sure. Listening to her heels walk towards me, I remember my training and get ready. The second I feel the gun barrel get rammed between my shoulder blades, I pivot on one foot and grab her wrist. She pulls the trigger wildly, deafening us both but hitting nothing but the sky. Squeezing her wrist tightly, she drops the pistol, lands a slap that was more painful than I had expected.

"Quit slapping me! You old hag!" I roar.

Now seething with anger, I punch the woman in the face, and she hits the ground and goes limp, giving me a moment to catch my breath. After about thirty seconds, more shots ring out; several of them hitting the cannon around me and sparking. Again, I'm left with nowhere to go.

"Ugh.." Scarlet moans, but she quickly comes around and reaches for the gun that was far closer to her than it was to me.

" _Run..."_

" _Run to the end of the cannon!" That was Barret's voice!_

I don't question him and race to the end of the cannon as bullets fly past my head. I'm desperate to find out his master plan as the edge gets nearer and nearer, and he doesn't disappoint. The huge airship that was parked on the runway on our last visit here ascended into the sky above me with Barret on the rear deck. He throws down a rope and I know I'm about to break the promise I made to myself to not be throwing myself off the end. I jump and stretch out for the rope, which is blowing in the wind of the propellers. _It's too far away!_

I fall rapidly, still trying to reach out for the rope which was sure to end soon. My fingers finally grab it and I grip tightly. Even with gloves on it burned my hand, but it's nothing some cure materia couldn't cure. Barret pulls me up as the airship banks away from the cannon, yet a stray bullet still finds its way into my thy. Wincing in pain, Barret managed to pull me onto the deck.

"You okay?" He asks with a worried expression.

"I'll live.." I smile, letting out a sigh of relief as my eyes spot Yuffie, who was dangling over the edge as white as a ghost. "Here." I say, offering her some motion sickness tablets that I used to carry around for Cloud. "Oh, and one more thing." I grin before kissing her.

"Ew, what was that for?" She groans.

"Saving my life." I laugh.

"Wa?" The ninja frowns looking baffled.

"Right, well er.. The Highwind is now yours." Cait Sith says before bouncing off.

"Come on, everyone's waitin'" Barret waves as he heads inside.

We all head inside the airship, with Barret in the lead. By everyone, does he mean Cloud? I'm not sure if I wanted to hug him or strangle him, but I can't wait to find out. I rush past everyone and race along the mesh walkway that spans over the engines and onto the bridge. Everyone quickly turns to me as I scan the room. Cloud wasn't here..

"What I miss?" Cid asks Barret who walks in behind me.

"Not much, just me savin' the day as usual, and Tifa kissin' Yuffie." Barret answers him.

"I was the one flyin' the damn- wait, what? With like, tongues?" The dirty captain asks, but my mind is on Cloud. Where could he be?

"Cid..." Nanaki shakes his head.

"Not enough crew." Was the only way I could say what I felt without actually saying it.

" **Serah's POV**

"Listen, Serah. I've got an Idea. How about putting your search on hold for a spell?" Snow asks me. "Right now it's Fang and Vanille who need our help."

"And, if the pillar continues to be damaged like this, Cocoon will start to wobble and shake." Noel adds.

"We have to do something about that flan." I agree. "Hope told us to try and protect Cocoon. I think that's what my sister would want, too."

"None of this makes sense. There are thousands of flan appearing from nowhere, and fusing to make a beast that shouldn't exist." The hunter says, trying to work everything out in his head.

"The flan is the paradox." Cloud says, never using more words than he needs to.

"If it is, we'll need to do some traveling to fix it." Noel says.

"Which means you've gotta find an artifact first." My hero says, handing me a crudely drawn map of the area.

"Follow the flan." Cloud suggests.

I give him a smile, grateful for his input, and we set off to find where the little flan are heading to. With Snow and Noel in front of me, and Cloud watching our backs, I've never felt so safe.

 **A/N: Glad you're all still enjoying 'moody Cloud' and feeling sorry for them both. I can't wait to write the next Caius scene, and I'm going to do it from both points of view like last time, as I don't want him to come off as evil. In this story at least, he's no different from Cloud. They'd both damn the world to save the one they love, Caius has just come to terms with it already. Caius does technically never die at the end of Lightning returns. He stays in Valhalla with all of the Yeuls, which was his goal in 13-2. I'm sure he's the only character in any final fantasy I've played that was quite literally unkillable. Poor guy can't even kill himself. Should have just sent him to fuck Bhunivelze up lol. You may have noticed the lack of a 'slap off' between Tifa and Scarlet. While it's an iconic moment in the game, I'm trying to keep this fantasy as real as possible. Professional martial artist vs office hoe is only going to end one way without guns involved lol.**

 **Guest (I've nothing else to call you, sorry!) I think I use lots of …. because of the way I 'see' the story. I'm not a natural writer and I see all my stories as games/ films. I use the …. to show a longer than normal pause, or a sigh, or sometimes a character is talking, then they turn, take a step and continue to talk. Obviously none of you can know that as it's all in my head so I'll tone it down a bit haha. Every one of your ideas has gone through my head when I first decided to attempt this ff13-2 part, but I've settled on something a little more dramatic to set the scene for things to come. And I never get bored of a long review :)**

 **NEWS UPDATE: ff15 is rumored to be released September 30th 2016. Also, Lightning's Louis Vutton interview says**

 **One day, not so far in the future, I will be out there again, in a world of strife. But I won't be the same person I was before. I will return to my origins, like a Mobius strip, but it'll be a new me, one who has evolved.**

 **I look forward to the day we meet again.**

 **Sounds to me like she'll be in FF7R in some form 'World of strife'. Personally I think it will just be when cloud dresses like a girl it will be Lightning in midnight mauve (That's my prediction) but she could be on the loveless poster or even one of the soldier members, who knows. That's the end of 'Wolf News' lol**

 **Hope you all enjoyed!**

 **Wolf**


	43. Divided Comrades

**Serah's POV**

"Hey, how you doing back there?" I ask Cloud after slowing down to walk next to him.

"Fine."

"You're such a chatterbox aren't you?" I tease. "I thought you wouldn't like Snow."

"I don't like Snow." He answers bluntly. "But I guess he's not doing anything different to me."

"You missing home?" I ask.

"To be honest, I've been so fixated on Claire that I've pushed it to the back of my mind. But if I don't get back there to stop Sephiroth soon, then there won't be a world to go back to."

"We'll fix it. Both of our worlds. I promise." Serah smiles.

"Hey, he called her Claire. What is it you three aren't tellin' me?" Snow shouts from the distance.

"..For the love of god.." Cloud sighs. "His ears are as big as his mouth."

"So, what gives?" My hero asks, ignoring my silent gestures to leave it. "Wait a minute, are you two a thing?"

"Snow.." I say softly; shaking my head as Cloud stomps past us, nearly knocking Snow to the ground with his shoulder despite being half the size. "He's not one for talking."

"So someone managed to thaw that frozen heart of your sisters. Go figure it would be someone even colder." Snow says.

"Come on, before he kills one of you." Noel laughs.

"Him? I doubt it."

"I've seen him fight. He'd kill the three of us before we got anywhere near him. Might be best to keep on his good side." Noel tells him.

Snow eventually drops his questions, and the three of us follow Cloud, who's now just a speck in the distance. I know he didn't like talking about things, but maybe if he did, he'd feel better. We quickly catch him up, but it soon becomes clear that it's because the blonde had stopped. He's stood on top of a giant tree stump, looking down into a natural tunnel. The two boys push me forward, knowing I was much more capable of dealing with the blonde. Chickens.

"Hey, whats up?" I ask with an upbeat tone.

"Something's coming." He says, placing a finger on his lips and glaring at Snow.

Noel points to something approaching in the distance, and at first I don't see it, despite it's huge size. When my eyes eventually work out its silhouette, I was convinced it was made from the forest itself. At first I thought it was a type of Fal'cie, but there was nothing mechanical about this four legged creature, which stomps through the deep valley below us. It's muscles seemed to be made of roots, with tree stumps for shoulder blades and a grassy mane.

"Hey! Furball! Over here!" Snow shouts as he waves his hand. I can almost feel Cloud's blood boiling, just from standing next to him. "Hey, big guy. We need to get though this valley. Mind givin' us a lift?"

"I don't think it heard you." I tell Snow as I strategically place myself between him and Cloud, who's growling like an angry dog.

"No answer. Guess I'll take that as a yes." My hero replies as he walks to the edge.

"It'll swallow you whole!" Noel protests.

"If we're lucky.." Cloud mutters.

To my horror, Snow jumps onto the beast's back and begins jumping up and down like a little kid. Amazingly, the monster seems to like it, and with an annoyed huff, Cloud leaps down too. After the voice of reason gives us the nod, me and Noel jump down onto it's leaf covered back. I just get my balance when the creature begins to move, knocking my onto my butt. At least it was comfy. Cloud takes half a step towards me, but his boot retreats back to let Snow come and pull me back to my feet.

The valley was covered by a leafy canopy, but what light manages to make it through, shines on the crystals that are imbedded into the branches, making them sparkle like diamonds. Small tracks lead off from the valley, but there was no way of getting down without getting crushed by the monster.

"What if there's an artifact down there?" I ask, pointing to the small passageways.

"There's no way to get down there." Noel says.

"Maybe not for us.." Cloud says with a devilish grin as he snatches Mog out of the air. "Time for you to become useful."

"Kupo! Serah, help Mog!" The poor little moogle begs.

"Good luck, Mog." I smile, feeling slightly cruel.

Cloud launches Mog down the passageway and watches for a while. Eventually he floats back to us with a look of disgust plastered across his face and empty hands.

"Well, it was worth a shot." Cloud laughs.

"Hey, look. There's the flan!" Noel points.

"Then this is our stop. Looks like we can jump onto that tree stump over there. Let's go." Cloud orders.

 **Lightning's POV**

My sabatons sink into the black sand, leaving their mark until the icy water of the tide washes them away. I sprint towards Caius, who's smug grin waits patiently for my blade. Just as I reach him, the guardian rips his sword from the shore, kicking sand at my face as he does. I squint my eyes, not willing to ever fully remove him from my sight, and thrust my sword at the man, hoping it's narrow blade will find a way through his defenses.

"Do you not grow tired of this meaningless charade?" Caius asks with a disinterested tone as catches the tip of my sword with his hand and pulls it towards his chest. "You are fighting against the inevitable."

"I'm just getting warmed up." I growl.

"Good. Then perhaps it won't be you're blonde friend who does what needs to be done."

"You leave him out of this."

"It is too late.. Like you, I can send whispers down the timeline. I have spoken to myself and explained what needs to be done. One way or another, he will die.. And so will your Goddess."

"Not while I still have a heartbeat." I growl as I pull my weapon free and flick it into it's gun mode, opening fire on the man.

"Very well.."

I fire three shots as I hop back, but they do little more than spark off the face of his blade before finding their way into the water. He goes on the offensive, cleaving his sword through the air, but I roll under it and drag my own down his torso. Caius staggers back slightly, grinning to himself as he heals the wound that oozed blood down his deep purple suit.

"Impressive." He compliments.

"That's just a taste of what's to come." I huff.

"You know as well as I do that you cannot stop me. If I kill you, I shall find the sleeping Goddess and end this eternal torment. And if you kill me then you will have killed the Goddess yourself." He explains, pointing to his glowing pink chest.

"I don't need to kill you. Just hold you off long enough for Cloud to fix the timeline."

Caius sends waves of chaos towards me, forcing me to brace for impact. The waves of energy hit me, throwing my body across the sand. I roll out of my tumble, but the purple haired man grips me by the throat before I have chance to regain my bearings.

"Do you not see it? Do you not see his death? Dying in the brittle hope that you would one day be together. How tragic.."

"I won't.. loose.. anyone else." I choke as flashes of a vision cloud my eyes. It was of Caius and Cloud fighting in Oerba. The image was only brief, but it was enough to see Cloud burst through the wall of a building, presumably by Caius' hand.

"Hmph. You no nothing of loss." He growls, squeezing tighter as he lifts me off the ground.

I attempt to grip his own throat, but his reach and height has me at his mercy. I silently call for Odin, and my faithful companion is there in a second. Caius drops me just in time to turn and block Odin's monstrous, serrated blade, and I waste no time in joining in on the attack. With two of us, I thought that this would be an easy victory, but every time I make it harder for him, he seems to just get stronger. Was he really just toying with me? If so, why?

"Odin! High and low!" I bark.

Odin instantly acts on my command, slashing straight for his neck as I duck and go for his knees. Just as our blades are about to cut him into three pieces, he vanishes, leaving nothing behind but wisps of deep purple smoke.

 **Barret's POV**

"Oh, I've got some news." The stuffed cat blurts out.

"Yeah, what?! That you a spy?" I bark.

"Yeah.. I've already told you I was. Both gya ha ha and kya ha ha are up to something. Wanna eavesdrop?"

" _Now then... We're facing to issues. One, destroy meteor. Two, remove the barrier around the north cave and defeat Sephiroth. Any ideas?"_ We hear that smug son of a bitch Rufus ask.

" _Gya ha ha! The first problem is already solved. Meteor will soon be smashed to bits. We're collecting huge materia from each region."_ Heidegger tells him.

" _What?"_

" _Huge materia is a special type of high density materia made through a special compression process in mako reactors. The energy extracted from is is 330 times the strength of normal materia. Kya ha ha! How about that!?"_ Scarlet cackles. _"We will gather all of the huge materia together and ram it into meteor."_

" _You're going to ram meteor? Do you think we have the technology to do that?"_

" _Yes, but first thing's first. We need to collect the rest of the huge materia. We've already got the materia from Nibelheim. All that's left are Corel and Fort Condor. I've already dispatched troops to Corel."_

"Corel!? What else can they do to Corel!?" I roar. "We gotta stop 'em!"

"I.. I can't.." Tifa says softly. "I'm loosing my mind without Cloud.. I need to know what happened to him."

"What are you going to do?" Nanaki asks.

"I'm going to go look for him. I'm really sorry.. But I need to know where he is.. I know he's still alive.. I know."

"Tifa.. The chances-" I begin.

"I have to try!" She shouts before running from the bridge.

"Phone." Vincent says in my ear, scaring the shit out of me.

"Will you stop doing that!" I growl, taking the phone from my pocket and handing it to the moody man.

"My apologies.." He nods before following Tifa through the doors.

"Great! Just what the hell am I gonna stare at now that jugs is gone?" Cid huffs as he parks his ass down next to the ship's wheel.

A couple of minutes pass before Vincent returns, and I'm disappointed to see he had come back alone. So Tifa had left. Would this be the end for our little group now that Cloud had gone?

"Right! We all goin' to Corel and kickin' some Shinra ass!" I bark. "Besides, when Cloud get's back, I wanna show him the huge materia."

"So what are you saying, Barret? Even though you're always knocking him, you really want Cloud to return?" The cat asks.

"I ain't sayin' nothin' 'bout nothin'." So just.. Shut your face!" I growl at the cat, refusing to acknowledge that we need the spiky haired jerk back here. "Every group's gotta have a leader. An' that's me! Or at least I wanna be... But I ain't cut out to be no leader. That's why he's doin' it." I say, pointing to Cid, who's nodding off.

"zzzz... Hmm? Wha? What's goin' on?" The pilot huffs.

"We're all doomed..." Nanaki shakes his head before leaving the room.

 **Cloud's POV**

We continue to follow the flan through the ever thickening jungle. The roots and branches we were using as paths become more and more treacherous as they climbed and dipped around the rest of the environment. Snow's incessant chatting behind me is starting to really grate on me, but I'm positive that we've not got far to go.

"Hey, don't you think if you put a wig and a dress on him, he'd kinda look like Light?" I hear Snow ask.

Noel and Serah burst into laughter, which is quickly silenced when I turn around and glare at them. The three of them look like children who have just done something naughty and where awaiting punishment. Yet it was still Serah; the smallest of the bunch who stood in front of the other two while Snow and Noel cowered behind. I smile to myself at her inherited bravery and decide to mess with Snow. Pacing up to the man, the other two step aside until I'm looking up at the man, who's looking like he's about to cry.

"I look good in a dress and wig for your information. You got a problem with that?" I say in a cold voice as I try my best to keep a straight face.

"I, er.. No.. Sir.." He says sheepishly.

I turn around, just as my face cracks a smile and I give Serah a wink. She has no idea what I was on about, but she seemed to enjoy me teasing her colossal fiancee. I return to the front, happy that I'd achieved my goal of silencing Snow for five minutes and track the Flans movements.

"There." I say, pointing to a ring of flan that are circling a crystal object. "The artifact."

I use my enemy skill materia to cast trine, wiping out all of the flan within seconds and adding to the fear I'd built up in Snow. The moogle grabs the artifact and hands it to Serah, as me and Noel have a quick scout to find a new way back to the gate. The hunter works out a way back to the gate, and after telling the pinkette and the idiot our plan, the four of us set off back to the gate. I don't say anything, but the thought of Snow joining us on this seemingly endless journey had me disheartened. The route Noel took us back to the gate was a much harder climb, but we reached the gate in less than ten minutes.

"We have to do this. We can't afford to fail. If we don't find a way to defeat that flan.." Serah begins as we reach the gate.

"Hey, don't get too wound up now. People start to make mistakes when they stress out too much." Snow tells her.

"Yeah, maybe you're right."

"Okay, let's do this!" Snow cheers, slamming his fists together in excitement.

"You wanna try, be my guest." Noel says, causing me to look at him with confusion.

"What do you mean?" Serah asks, beating me to it.

"For every road, there's a different gate. If you try to use a gate that's meant for someone else, well..." Noel says in perfect timing, just as Snow hits an invisible field around the gate. "See?"

"Does this mean Snow can't come with us?" Serah asks, and I can see her heart sink and her trademark smile fall.

"Yep. He says." The hunter says.

"Guess I drew the short straw." Snow huffs.

"And don't you do anything foolish behind our backs, like trying to take that Flan on single handed." Noel warns.

"Yeah, you behave yourself, or else. You got it? I'm serious, Snow." Serah adds, taking his hands in hers.

"I'll be good." He promises.

"Let's go." I say, ushering them into the gate as I pull out a red orb from my pocket.

"You take care of her for me.." Snow says as the other two disappear into the gate.

"I will." I nod. "Here. Make sure Serah has a fiance to come back to." I add, handing the brute the phoenix materia.

"What's this?" He asks.

"For when you decide to do something stupid." I grin before walking through the gate.

As soon as I'm spat out of the gate, a shiver runs down my spine and I draw my weapon. Serah and Noel, who are in front of me do the same and stop in their tracks. I stay silent and take in the cold surroundings of the structure we were in. Unlike where we had just came from, there was nothing natural about this place. It was a dark, but futuristic corridor that was lit up with dim lights that where built into the steel walls. The passageway was short, and opened up into a large chamber after a set of steps. The round room seemed empty, but as I reached the top step, I knew I wasn't alone.

"Who dares?..." A demonic voive echos. "Explain this intrusion."

"Maybe we should head back.." Serah says. I can hear the bow shaking in her hands.

"Travelers of the Void beyond. What are you seeking in this bloodstained place of war?" The sourceless voice asks, but I keep walking into the center of the chamber.

"Who said that?" Serah says, beginning to panic.

"That guy!" Noel shouts, pointing to a mass of energy that formed above us.

"My domain exists outside the march of ages. It is unseen and unknown, beyond life and death. Until the day the bell of the Goddess tolls, this realm welcomes not the living. Begone from here. You bring naught but calamity." It orders. "My halls already play host to Omens of time shattering misfortune."

"An omen of misfortune? Something that doesn't belong here?" Serah asks, standing so close to me that her shoulder rests on my arm.

"Then let's make a deal." I offer.

"Begone, I say! Heed my words or face judgment at my hands!"

"Come and try.." I growl.

"Cloud.."Serah and Noel say in unison.

"You want that thing gone. Give it to us and we'll leave this place." I shout up to the energy.

"Take it, and leave this place!" It roars as something sparkling drops from it's dark mass. "The day of reckoning has not yet come."

Noel runs to catch the artifact, but I turn back to the steps. I had no idea what was speaking, and I didn't care. Claire wasn't here, and it seemed obvious that the 'omen' it was referring to was an artifact. The hunter quickly retreats back to me and Serah, who are already heading back up the steps to the gate.

"Job well done, I guess." Noel sighs. "Did you really have to annoy the scary voice though?"

"I promise you, I'm the scariest thing in this room." I remind him.

"Come on, Snow will be waiting." Serah smiles.

"I hope he's still okay back there. But I bet he won't be waiting by the gate for us." The hunter says with annoyance in his tone.

"No, I suppose not. He's just like my sister. Always charging ahead." The pinkette says proudly.

"Charging ahead into an early grave.." Noel mutters. "He acts like he's everyone's boss, just marches ahead, and never thinks of how much danger he's putting himself in. Idiots like that, they're all the same."

"Noel, I hope you don't get yourself killed." Serah begins to compare him to Snow. "After all, you've risked your life a lot of times. To help me, I mean."

"I'm not like Snow." Noel says as if he's just been deeply insulted. "He just took off and left you alone."

"Noel.." I say softly, drawing both of their attention again.

"You can't possible be on Snow's side?"

"No, Snow's an idiot.. But I do understand what he's doing. The same thing I am.. I know what being separated from the one I love to 'save the world' feels like.. I'm amazed he's stayed so.."

"Cheerful?" Serah guesses.

"I was going to say annoying.. but I suppose cheerful fits." I tease her. "Come on, back through the gate."

 **A/N: Sorry for the delay, not had a lot of free time this week. Just like to start with saying thanks to Strife4Life for the suggestion of Snow making a comparison between Cloud and Light, can't believe I never thought of it myself lol. I'm really missing poor Lightning, and as I dashed your hopes with my slightly misleading title for the last chapter, I thought she deserved a bit of a mention. Half of me wishes I could skip to the end so I can have another Caius fight and they can finally see each other at least haha.**

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **Wolf**


	44. The Hunted Hunters

**Serah's POV**

The gate throws us out in a wild and remote land surrounded by a sharp ring of mountains. The long grass spans as far as my eyes can see, and reaches my waist. The tall grass tickles and cuts my legs, but I'm keen to explore the land. I hear what I thought was the rustle of the flora, but Noel quickly grabs my arm and pulls me back to safety as a Chocobo rushes past with a man on it's back.

"Flank it from the west!" The man shouts.

"On it!" Another shouts back as several more Chocobo riders become visible.

"Look, that's their prey." Noel points to the distance, where a grey beast with huge fangs runs for it's life. "They seem desperate. Like they gotta get this one, or there'll be nothing else left to eat."

"Really? I guess you have to be a hunter to tell." I say, surprised at his ability to read the situation.

"Let's introduce ourselves." Cloud says, much to the hunter's joy.

We travel in the direction of the hunters, across the dark and dreary land. I was sure there was a sun up there somewhere, but the thick blanket of clouds let only the slightest of light through. We walk for a little while, but Noel eventually spots the hunter's village, which sits high upon a ridge, making it an ideal vantage point to spot potential prey.

"Right that's it.. I want answers.." Cloud growls as he marches off into the village.

"Hey, wait!" I shout. "Where's he going?" 

"Haha.. Look." Noel points. "Chocolina."

"He really doesn't like her, does he." I laugh.

Me, Noel and Mog rush after Cloud, who's now in front of Chocolina and demanding answers. She doesn't look even remotely bothered by the blonde's angry tone, which I think is actually making him even angrier. Instead, she just smiles and flits with him in her own weird way. I hold in a laugh to avoid that unimpressed look that the blonde wares often and listen to their conversation as I get closer.

"How the hell do you keep appearing wherever I go?" Cloud demands.

"I love it when you get all assertive- Oh, you're looking more and more like your sister each time I see you! Oops.." Chocolina says as she spots me approaching, but quickly tries to reel her words back in.

"Wait, you know my sister?" I ask.

"Oh, no! Looks like the jig is up!" The feathered saleswoman flaps. "Lightning send me to aid you with items or equipment that you might need!"

"Help? Have you seen the price of some of your stuff?" Noel huffs.

"You know how much it costs to look this fantastic?" She says, flaunting her half naked body at the blonde, who takes a step back in discomfort.

"When did you see Light last?" Cloud asks.

"She spoke to me in a dream around about the time that you two arrived at New Bodhum."

"And that was the last time you heard from her?" The blonde asks with great disappointment.

"Uh huh." Chocolina nods.

An enormous sigh erupts from Cloud as he continues his way up to the village. I give Chocolina a warm smile, grateful for her help and follow Noel, who's jogging after Cloud with excitement. I guess these villagers have about as much in common with him as anyone else on earth right now. By the time I've caught up with the two boys, we'd passed the Chocobo stables and walking along a flat platform made of wood and corrugated metal sheets. Noel heads straight for the highest structure, which looks like it serves no purpose other than a lookout post. Inside is a tattooed man with long blonde hair that was tied back in a bun.

"You new around here? We could do with extra arms." The man says to Noel. "If you're here to hunt, find someplace else."

"You guys aren't exactly haulin' it in. Prey getting scarce?" Noel asks.

"Yes. Ever since that storm blew up. These lands where teeming with game before that. Friends came to investigate the storm but they never came back."

"What brought on the storm?" Cloud asks.

"My friends are out assessing the situation now, but even I I knew, I wouldn't tell anyone who wasn't a hunter."

"But Noel's a hunter." I plead.

"Don't look so surprised." Noel says defensively. "She's right you know."

"Really? Then you wouldn't mind if I put you to the test. Let's see what you can do." The hunter leader says. "There's been a pack of monsters harassing us when we go out to hunt. Think you can get rid of them for us?"

"Sure." Cloud answers, causing us all to turn to him.

"You sound more keen than usual." The hunter jokes.

"The storm could be like the eclipse.." He answers, suggesting that it could be a paradox without actually saying the words in front of the stranger. "Let's go monster hunting." 

"Here. Take this map. I've marked the position of the monster's last known location." The man says, handing me a tattered map.

Noel takes the map off me before I get the chance to read it and quickly spins around on the spot. I don't protest, but instead watch in fascination as he quickly gets his bearings and heads off back through the village. With Cloud with us, he always took the lead, but even he conceded to Noel's hunting skills and allowed him to do his own thing. The hunter stopped periodically to consult the map and to check the ground for tracks. He tried his best, but he couldn't suppress the happy smile that was on his face.

"He's in his element." I say to Cloud, who was silently studying the man, learning all of his tricks and secrets.

"He'd doing something he was born to do." The blonde answers.

"And what were you born to do?" I ask. "What's your purpose in life?"

"I ask myself that question every day.."

"Hey, don't you go all moody on me again." I scald playfully. "You wanna know what your purpose is?"

"Hmm?"

"To make my sister happy." I tell him. "You think you can do that?"

"I... Yes." He nods assertively.

"Good- Hey, Noel. What's that?" I ask, pointing it a metallic red object shining in the grass.

The three of us walk up to the object which looks like a statue of a weird cactus. Cloud looks at it suspiciously with his arms folded as Noel walks around it, expecting every little detail. In the end, Curiosity gets the better of the hunter, and he reaches out his hand to touch the metallic red statue.

"Don't!" Cloud roars, gripping hold of Noel's arm as he touches the object.

In an instant, the two boys vanish before my eyes, and I'm left alone in a never ending sea of waist high grass. I debate touching the statue myself, but the sound of rustling grass catches my attention. Mog turns into my bow when he senses trouble, and I spin on the spot to find the source of the noise. Something hard hits me in the back, knocking me face first into the ground before scuttling off back into the grass. Staggering back to my feet, I turn my bow into a sword and stand silently with my eyes closed. Whatever was attacking me was shorter than the grass, so I have to rely on my other senses.

The sound of the wind rustling through the grass was a distinct and peaceful noise, and I focused on any disturbances in the sound. The noise comes from all directions, meaning these was more than one. I resist the urge to turn around when the grass rustles behind me and instead wait until one of the creatures comes close. A couple of seconds later, one of the monsters leaps out of the grass, but I spin on my heels and cut it in half before I even see what it was. The two halves of the creatures body fall to the ground, and I look down at the goblin like creature, making my first mistake. Forgetting that there were more out their, I'm knocked to the ground.

 **Cloud's POV**

"What the hell did you touch it for!?" I roar at Noel when I find myself stood in the hunter's camp.

"I was just-"

"Save it, we need to get back to Serah." I growl.

I don't waste time snaking through the village. Instead, I leap straight of the high ledge and down into the grass below. The long, leafy blades try their best to entangle us as we run, but nothing was going to stop me getting to Serah. In less than thirty seconds, I think I see the pinkette in the distance, turning and rolling through the grass. She was in trouble.. Drawing my sword, I fire a beam of energy in her direction, ripping up the foliage and creating a path straight to her. I see blood dripping from her cheek and her arm, but she holds out her hand, ordering us to stop.

"I'm Okay! I can do this!" She shouts, just as a short, humanoid creature bursts out of the grass next to her.

My hand dives for my materia, but by the time it's in the palm of my hand, the pinkette had rolled out of the way and slashed through the monster, before turning her moogle weapon into a bow and firing into the grass. Although we couldn't see it, all three of us heard the sound of something else dying in the grass where she had fired. Serah drops to her knees, but gives us a big, victorious grin. Although I was still concerned about her, it was pride that took over.

"Where did you go?" She pants.

"Back to the hunter's camp, thanks to Noel's curiosity.." I huff.

"I did good, didn't I?" She asks with a faint voice as the exhaustion takes over and her eyes close.

"You did great.." I smile as I scoop the pinkette up and carry her back to the village.

The walk back to the village was peaceful, but carrying the pinkette in my arms brought back the memories that started it all. I'm almost convinced I can feel the mako her sister was soaked in burn my arms as I carried Serah. To think I could have just walked past her tank and left her, feeling nothing more than pity. I still don't know why I rescued Claire, but I'm glad I did. I guess Aeris was right.. Some things just happen for a reason.

"Lightning.." Serah mumbles.

"Sorry, you're still stuck with me for the time being." I tell her as she opens her eyes. "We're at the camp."

Serah motions for me to put her down, and the three of us walk back up to the lookout post to tell the village's leader that we had completed his task. He looks at the pinkette with an impressed gaze, but must have been watching the whole time, because he doesn't question her once.

"I have to hand it to you, you're stronger than you look." The hunter says.

"Time to start talking." I tell the man, reminding him of our agreement.

"Right. We've found the storm is connected to the weather. The storm only comes when it's really hot and sunny outside." 

"That seems like a weak reason." Noel answers. "We can't just wait here until the weather changes."

"No, the idiot won't sit around waiting for us for long."I agree.

"You don't have to wait. We can control the weather." The hunter tells us.

The three of us look at each other in disbelief. It seems that none of us thought it was possible to control the weather. Serah folds her arms just like her sister and demands a proper explanation, just like her sister would have; all be it in a slightly less condescending tone. The hunter doesn't falter and shows us the machine I had my eyes on when we first arrived, and shows us how it works.

"Why don't you just set it to hot and sunny and try to find the source of the problem?" I ask.

"Because when we do, large and powerful monsters appear. There was originally two hundred people in this camp. Now there are only sixty. With the Faeryl on the prowl, we didn't stand a chance.."

"The Faeryl?" Noel questions.

"A huge dragon that sucks in Flan by the hundred. It rains down lightning and fire."

"Sucks in Flan? Are you two thinking what I'm thinking?" Serah asks.

"This is your lucky day. I'm gonna sort your dragon problem." I tell him.

"Ha! You might be able to beat few goblins, but this thing is something else entirely."

"You sort us out with somewhere to sleep and some food, and I'll kill the dragon. You have nothing to loose." I continue.

"Sure.. But remember, this was your idea.."

We're lead into what is essentially a small shack that contained two sets of bunk beds and a small desk. The sheets where crisp and white, but this couldn't be described as luxurious by any stretch of the imagination. The Nomad tells us he will return shortly with food, and within a few minutes he does. It consisted mostly of vegetables I've never see before and a slither of meat from their latest kill. A far cry from Tifa's cooking, but it was hot and filling. We quickly finished and climbed into bed, but I had no intention of sleeping. As soon as the other two had fell asleep, I'd take care of the monster on my own.

"Goodnight, Cloud. Goodnight, Noel." Serah yawns.

"Night." I reply, climbing into the bottom bunk.

I close my eyes and listen to the breathing patterns of my two room mates. With no windows in the shack, the only light comes from the faint pink glow of the Moogles's antenna. The hunter falls asleep within minutes; and in this silent room, it was easy to tell with his slowed heart rate and breathing. Serah took longer, and I could feel my own eyes getting heavy as I waited for her to sleep.

" _You're not thinking of fighting a big, scary dragon on your own, are you?" I hear Aeris ask._

" _I don't want to risk Serah getting hurt. She's still recovering from today."_

" _She's stronger than she looks. Just like me." The flower girl laughs._

" _How do you keep on laughing?" I ask her._

" _Because I'm happy, silly. You shouldn't worry about everything. You can't take on the world by yourself. It doesn't matter how strong you are."_

" _Aeris, You can see the future.. And you gave me the white materia. Am I going to loose someone else?" I ask her, terrified of her answer._

" _Don't dwell on what might be. The timeline changes with every decision you make. I could tell you yes, but tomorrow that could change."_

" _...Does everyone go to Valhalla if they die?" I ask finally, out of morbid curiosity as my mind concocts a sinister plot._

" _You don't belong here. You don't belong to the planet's flow of life, so please get that idea out of your head. Life is too precious to just throw away." She scalds, in a tone harsher than I've ever known._

" _I understand. I think it's time to slay a dragon." I tell her as my eyes shoot open._

 **Cid's POV**

"Cid, I think we should-" Yuffie starts to speak, but I quickly cut her off.

"HEY! This ain't no democracy. It's a dictatorship!" I bark. "I make the plans!"

"You put the dick in dictatorship.." The squirt mutters.

"ENOUGH!" Barret roars. "Get me to Corel, or I'mma start shootin' people!"

"I set a course for Corel ten minutes ago, numbskull. We'll be there in 4 minutes." I tell him as I pull out a cigarette.

"Cid, those things will kill you." Nanaki tells me.

"I'm not that lucky.." The kid mumbles.

"We're going to war with Sephiroth and the Shinra, and you're worryin' about some smoke?! Button your traps or I'll make you swab the decks!"

My baby get's us hoverin' over Corel in next to no time, but Barret is determined to save the dump from another Shinra balls up. I look around the bridge, quickly picking Vincent out as our third guy, on the basis that people that rarely speak will rarely piss me off. After threatening the others with a slow and painful death, if they didn't keep my ship safe, we leave the Highwind and head through the shanty town. The train lines start at the north east of the village, and snake between the mountains for as long as the eye could see. If I could have got the airship closer, I'd have saved my legs from a killer walk.

"There she is." I say, pointing to the Mako reactor in the distance after a good hour's walk.

"Do we even know what it is we're lookin' for in there?" Barret asks.

"Well it's called huge materia, so I've got a pretty good idea what it's gonna look like." I mock.

"It will be in the heart of the condenser core." Vince chirps up. "I fear we may be too late." He adds, just as we get to the reactor door.

"How the hell you know?" I ask, genuinely curious.

"The train tracks.. The top is shiny. Something was here recently. It's not had a chance to re-oxidize."

"I knew that. Was just testin' ya- hey, you feel that?"

"The ground is shakin' a bit." Barret agrees.

Not a second later, the reactor doors burst open and a train rockets out. Vince pulls me off the tracks just in time, but the force of the train rushing past, blows my cigarette away. Shinra guards that sat on the train's engine open fire, and we all quickly jump onto the back of one of it's coal carts. Bullets burst through lumps of coal, sending clouds of black soot in the air. Thankfully, the steel carts make a perfect shield from the bullets, which do little more than ring against it's surface.

"Cid, stick your head up and count how many soldiers there are." Vince says calmly.

"Why does the best lookin' one gotta risk his face?!" I protest.

"Me and Barret have guns. We need something.. Annoying... That they will shoot at."

"Barret, surely you got a better idea?" I plead.

"I ain't got shit. An we outta time. We gotta stop this train, Cid!" Barret tells me.

"Right, fuck it. Here goes nothin'!" I sigh as I pop my head over the cart "I'm over here you Shinra mutts!"

Gunfire erupts in an instant, and the whole cart of coal is vaporized by bullets, covering my handsome face in a black film. I duck back behind cover to find Barret laughing, and even Vince is doing his idea of what a smirk looks like.

"What?!" I roar.

"How many soldiers where there?" Vince asks.

"No idea! I got a face full of coal!"

"There's three, Cid. We just wanted to see if you'd stick your head up." The dark skinned jerk laughs.

"Keep laughin'! You two are walkin' from now on!" I roar.

Vincent leaps onto the top of the cart while firing three shots. The three bullet casings hit the ground before his fancy gold boots do, convincing me ever more that he was some weird ghost. I peer over the edge again to find the three guards slumped over the controls of the engine. Their blue uniform slowly turns crimson as we climb up and jump between the carts, which rattle around on the ancient tracks. Mercifully, we reach the engine, and I unceremoniously throw the three guards over the side.

"What? They where dead anyway." I huff.

"You know how to stop this thing, Right?" Barret asks.

"Does a Behemoth shit in the woods?!" I growl. "Out of the way."

I familiarize myself with the controls, and read the mass of pressure gauges that are staggered between the mass of staking copper pipes. The design was old, but I'm sure I could figure it out. Taking a lever in each hand, I pull one back and push the other forward, hoping to release the pressure and

slow the train. To my embarrassment, the train picks up speed and the pressure spikes.

"Cid!" Barret roars. "I can see the fuckin' town! Stop the damn train!"

"I'm tryin'! Shut ya traps!" I shout, pulling back both levers, which releases all of the pressure. Slowing us down, but not quickly enough. I spot a smaller, red handled lever in the corner of the cabin and pull it towards me. The brakes engage, rattling the train, and sparks erupt from both sides of the cockpit. The shanty town gets closer and closer, but the grin on my face only gets wider, because I know we'd stop in time.

"And that is why I'm the greatest!" I congratulate myself when the train shudders to a stop.

"You lucky son of a bitch." Barret breathes a sigh of relief. "Well done, Cid."

"All skill, baby. All skill." I laughing

"The materia?" Vincent questions.

"Hmm." Barret hums as he dumps his hand into the closest coal cart. "Got ya." He says, pulling out a large, reinforced plastic case from the depths of the coal.

"Open it." Vincent commands, not happy until his eyes see the stone.

Barret hands him the case and walks off into the village, leaving me and Vincent alone. Both of us are eager to see what we've just nearly got shot over, and when the moody ex-Turk opens the box, we're not disappointed. A large, sapphire blue crystal is sat in the foam lined case. It was Jagged and much larger than a normal, spherical materia, and it glowed with untold power. Satisfied that we got what we came for, Vince closed the box and we went in search of Barret, who's surrounded by the villagers.

"Shit. Come on, I don't think these people are Barret's biggest fans." I tell the ex-Turk.

 **A/N: Not a lot to say really. Next chapter will have a lot of fighting in, and I may do another little Light vs Caius section. I do have a question though. As you know, this is a CloudxLight fic. Yet it has a distinct lack of CloudxLight haha. Do we want another 20+ chapters of this, or shall I skip/ summarize the less important stuff to reunite them a little quicker? I love reading all of your reviews and I try not to ask for them, but when it comes to a possible change in the story, I'd like as many as I could get. Purely on the basis that I don't want to change the story based on a couple of reviews when another 50 readers might want something different, but don't review. Thanks for reading**

 **Wolf**


	45. Dragon Slayer

**Cloud's POV**

I sneak out of the shack like a wraith and shut the door behind me without so much as a creak. I follow the path through the village, up to the lookout post, where I see the ever watchful Nomad leader stood, looking out onto the barren horizon. Despite being a skilled hunter, he doesn't hear my approach, and gasps when he catches me stood next to him out of the corner of his eye.

"You move like the reaper." The man says as he regains his composure.

"I had a good teacher." I reply, thinking of Vincent and his inhuman ability to move around without sound. That man turned scaring the crap out of people into an art form.

"You are going to fight that thing alone?" He asks. "I'd advise against it."

"Noel's a good hunter, and Serah's tougher than she looks, but they're not ready for this." I answer.

"Who are you?"

"Today, I'm the reaper.." I answer. "Operate the machine."

The man does what I ask and pulls the two large levers. I instantly feel the moisture in the air change as well as the wind direction. The cloud's rush out of the sky, and the once dull plains are now lit up with a scorching sun. I look over the land for a moment, taken back by the machines ability to change the weather. A large part of me expected the machine not to work, but sure enough, it was like going from December to July in a heartbeat. A fearsome roar breaks me out of my gaze, and the hunter stiffens with fear.

"It comes from between the mountains over there." The hunter points. "But it does not sit idle long when the sun is out."

"Don't worry, I won't be long." I tell the man as I leap down into the tall grass.

By the time I reach the edge of the plains, I can already see deep claw marks in the rocky mountainside. I hear it before I see it, and I feel a static in the air as I near. This was something far more dangerous than a Nibel dragon. Snaking through a path carved out between the mountains, I hear it moving anxiously. When the wind blows through my hair from behind, I quickly understand why. It can smell me coming. I reach the end of the narrow corridor and find myself in a sandy clearing surrounded by sandstone cliffs. On the other end of the open space stands the dragon, which was twice as big as any I'd ever seen before. It's dark earth coloured hide was thick and ancient, and it's tooth filled snout was lined with a spiked beard made of jagged bone. It's front legs jittered about excitedly at the thought of it's food coming to him for a change, but I'm nobody's meal.

"Come on, your food's getting cold." I say to it as I draw my sword.

It seems to understand my mocking and spreads it's bat like wings as it stands. Flames roll out of it's snout to add to its attempt at intimidation, but I'm not phased. I cast trine on the dragon to confirm a hunch that the dragon used electrical attacks, and when it didn't so much as flicker, I knew I was right. What I didn't expect was for it to store the energy in it's body and release it straight back at me. The bolt of lightning threw me across the sandy ground, and when I got back to my feet I found a fractal scar running from my sword hand, right up to my shoulder. Smoke poured off me as I pat my shirt, which was starting to smolder, and I cast big guard on myself to avoid another nasty surprise.

Annoyed that it's meal was putting up more of a fight than it expected, it charges at me and spits a ball of flaming saliva at me which burns a bright green. I roll out of the way and use my ice materia to freeze it's wing as I watch it's napalm like spit burn through the sandstone. The dragon, Faeryl flexes it's wing, breaking off the shards of ice as it's anger peaks and swings it's mace like tail towards me like a whip. I leap over it just in time and slash at it's jaw, but my blade merely chips off some of the bone. Electricity dances around the dragon, occasionally arcing over to me when I get too close, but with my materia still shielding me, I feel little more than a slight twitch. Faeryl rears again, this time to use it's dagger like claws to tear me apart, but I manage to get the buster sword us just in time.

It keeps hammering at me, knocking me back a few inches with every blow, and It soon becomes apparent that I'm being backed into a corner. I get ready to leap out of it's trap when it spits another ball of flaming ooze from it's jaws. I can't get away in time and am forced to use my blade as a shield. Lime green flames run up my sword until it becomes too hot to hold, and I'm forced to drop it. Until the burning saliva had burnt itself away, I was weaponless. The decision to go on the defensive for a moment crossed my mind, but I quickly discard it and pull out the crimson orb that Priscilla gave me in Junon.

The heat from the blazing sun seemed to fade, and a crisp chill took over the wind. Shards of crystal rained from the sky, briefly catching the dragon's attention, before forming into an ice skinned Goddess. She holds out a delicate hand towards Faeryl, and an icy blast slowly immobilizes it until it becomes encased in a pale blue layer of ice. The icy summon dissipates into snowflakes, which dance in the wind until they all vanished. With the threat neutralized, I pick up my now cool weapon and inspect it for damage. The heat didn't mess with the temper of the metal, but my inspection was cut short when I hear the sound of ice exploding behind me.

By the time I turned around, the dragon had smashed it's way free and it's spiked tail was on a collision course with my body. I brace for the impact that I couldn't avoid, and despite my sword's wide blade, two spikes find their way into my body; one in my shoulder and one in my gut. The bone spikes remain inside of me as the dragon pulls it's tail back behind it. I drop to one knee as my blood evacuated my body at an alarming rate. Pulling out a cure materia would do my no good with the monster still alive, so I take out my Odin materia and grip it tightly, calling it's power.

The dragon stops it's advance as the bright sun is snuffed out and replaced with a full moon. Above my head, on the cliff edge, stood Odin on his six legged horse with a lance made entirely of a red energy. He launches it at the dragon with unavoidable speed spearing it through it's tooth filled snout and out the back of it's head. Faeryl dies before it hit's the ground, and I fear that I won't be far behind. Tumbling into the cliff's wall, I grip the spike in my shoulder and rip it out. Letting out a muffled growl, I place the spike between my teeth, knowing that the one in my gut was going to hurt much more.

The lack of blood was making me go cold and numb, and I was almost grateful for the lack of feeling when I rip the dragon's second 'gift' out of my body. Laying on my back, I take out my cure materia with what could be my last breaths and close the wounds. Within seconds, the wounds close up, leaving behind some impressive scars, but no materia could replace the blood loss. Only time will. Using the buster sword to climb to my feet, rest my back against the cliff and rest for five minutes. When the dizziness becomes bearable, I stagger over to the dragon and separate it's head from it's body with six hacks of my sword.

"Looks like we both underestimated each other." I say to the corpse, still trying to catch my breath.

I return my sword to my back and lift up the head, only to find something shining in the sand beneath it. At first I thought it was blood, but thankfully, curiosity gets the better of me and I pull out an artifact from the sand. In my haste to show Serah, I pick up the head and carry it back to the camp, which takes twice as long as it took me to get here.

I'm still staggering through the deep grass when I here the gasps of the hunters who were looking down on me from the raised village. My pace slows with every step, and by now half of the village are following me in my wake. I see the back of the village leader in his usual spot, looking out onto the horizon, and he turns to face me when he hears the combined march of the villagers behind me.

"I don't believe it.." He gasps. ".. What are you?"

"Exhausted." I answer flatly as my legs give way. Something was wrong, I'd felt like this before. _Poison..._

 **Lightning's POV**

"You feel his heart grow weak, don't you guardian?" Caius stakes as we lock swords.

"He's like me. He doesn't die so easily." I growl, but I feel Cloud's heartbeat slowing with every beat.

"Death is a mercy I will not be granted. He however well succumb to the poison."

Caius kicks me in the chest, un-fusing our two swords and sending me crashing into the wall of the nearest building. My breastplate stops me from getting winded, but I know that I'm struggling. Odin lasted less than a few minutes against the man before I ordered him to rest, and everything I've tried so far has done little more than slow him down. The only thing keeping me going was the promise I made to Cloud. I would see him again. I attempt to stand, but he appears before me in an instant and grips my throat tightly with one hand and pins my weapon hand to the wall with his other.

"Stubbornness will only prolong the pain." He says softly as he lifts me off my feet. "You can see the outcome and yet you still push against it."

"I have to believe that I'll see him again." I choke.

"Before I was cursed with this eternity, I was told a tragic tale of two lovers by my tribe's elders.. They where forced to part." He tells me, keeping his hand clamped tightly around my throat. "He believed her dead, and in turn, took his own life with poison. When she discovered this, she took her own life with a blade." Caius continues as he slowly overpowers my sword hand and brings my own blade close to my throat."

I start to see white spots, and I feel the edge of my weapon hovering over my neck, but my focus is stuck on gazing the timeline, I see Cloud lingering on the edge of life. With all my heart, I pray that his keeps beating. My eyes fill with a relieved tear when I see Serah knelt by his side, and I'm finally able to focus on the man who was about to slit my throat with my own weapon. My free hand rips off the wing's crescent moon; the symbol of Etro, from my armour, and I imbed it into Caius' wrist. He releases me with a grunt, giving me just enough time to distance myself from him. _Keep fighting, Cloud.. Make your way back to me.._

 **Serah's POV**

My eyes slowly open to the sound of people moving about outside. I can just make out Noel on the bunk opposite, despite the only light coming from the cracks in the door and Mog's antenna. When my eyes don't see Cloud on the bed below, I give my eyes a rub and jump down to investigate. Still unable to see through the darkness, I reach out and sheepishly pat around the mattress, half hoping that I didn't put my hand somewhere where it shouldn't go, and half hoping that his reflexes didn't break my arm before he realizes it's me. When I feel nothing, it instantly dawns on me what he's done.

"Noel!" I shout, causing the hunter to sit up so fast, he hits his head on the low roof.

"Ouch! Serah, what's wrong?"

"Cloud! He's gone!" I tell him.

"You don't think-"

"Let's go find him!" I say, nearly ripping the door off it's hinges.

The sudden change from darkness to brilliant sunlight stings my eyes, but when they adjust, I see the whole town gathered around something on the floor. The trail of blood leading from the center of the people to the outskirts of town make me think it's just something the hunters had managed to kill, but when I hear them asking 'is he alive?' to each other I fear the worst.

"Out of the way!" Noel shouts, but I'd already barged past half of the villagers before they take notice.

My eyes finally fall on the center of all the commotion, and my worst fear was confirmed. Cloud lay on the ground, covered in blood, right next to the severed head of a dragon. It suddenly becomes clear what he had done, and I'm not sure weather I want to cry or wring his neck. I should have known he'd have done something so reckless. Or maybe it was because he didn't feel like he could depend on me and Noel..

"Cloud!" I shout when I finally push my way to the center.

He doesn't respond to my call, and those frighteningly beautiful blue eyes remain closed. I place my hand on his chest, and then my ear, desperate to find a heartbeat. I start to panic when I don't here one straight away, but a weak pulse in his chest brings me some comfort.

"What the hell happened?!" Noel demands.

"H-he went to fight the dragon. He's just collapsed as he made it back into the camp." One of the hunters closest to me says.

"I told him not to go alone, but he didn't want to put you in harms way." The village leader says. "I can't believe he actually killed it.."

"You should have told us!" I hear myself shout angrily as I cradle the blonde's head.

"...I'll find a way back to you.. I promise.." Cloud says in a strained whisper.

"Hey buddy, you alright?" Noel asks the blonde.

"Just peachy." He coughs. "I don't know what dragon tastes like, but there's a whole lot of it in the mountains.." He says with a weak smile.

As if on cue, six of the hunters look to their leader, who gives them a brief nod before they vanish down to the stables, but not before each resting a hand on Cloud's shoulder as a sign of thanks and respect. More tears roll down my cheek, and I mentally scald myself for being so soft. Despite his cold and often abrupt attitude, I'd come to care for him like an older brother. He's spent this whole journey keeping me from harm. It never dawned on me that I should do the same. To get him to Lightning in one piece. Snow and Light did the same once.. Kept each other alive so they could both see me. Even though they fought like cat and dog.

"Come on, let's get you somewhere more comfortable than the floor." Noel says, but Cloud starts convulsing, and a yellow foam starts to pour from his mouth. "Damn it! Hold him down so he doesn't hurt himself!" The hunter commands as he dashes off.

Noel returns a few minutes later, with a small emerald vial in his hand. I look at him for an explanation, but his focus is on Cloud. Everyone remaining around the blonde watches with bated breath as Noel removes the cork from the vial and places a couple of drops on Cloud's lips. Within just a few seconds, the colour returns to his face and his eerie, glowing eyes snap open. I look back to Noel, who's smiling to himself, and wait for an explanation.

"Anti venom. Courtesy of Chocolina." He answers. "Should be back to one hundred percent in an hour or so. How you feeling?"

"Dizzy." Cloud mutters. "I'm sorry for going out there alone."

"You could have died!" I find myself shouting. "What would I have told Light?!"

"I..." He begins, but I grab his hand and squeeze it tightly.

"We're in this together. Understood?" I question

"Understood." He nods and does a mock salute, breaking my annoyed expression. "Guess what I did."

"The fact that we found you with the severed head of a dragon.. I'm gonna guess you killed a dragon." Noel laughs.

"I also found this." He tells us as he pulls out an artifact from his pocket. "Let's go rescue that idiot fiancé of yours."

"We're not going anywhere until you're better, mister." I tell him.

"I'm fine. Whatever Noel gave me seems to be working. By the time we reach the gate, I should be back to normal."

"But-"

"Serah, the man said he's fine." Noel tells me off as he offers the blonde his hand.

Cloud grabs the hunters hand, who pulls him up from the bed. It was nice to see the two of them getting on, but Cloud's recklessness is going to give me a heart attack one of these days. Accepting that the two boys weren't going to listen to my advice to rest, I open the door and lead them outside, just in time to watch the carcass of the dragon being hauled past by a dozen chocobos. How he killed something that big was anyone's guess, and by the looks of the villagers, I wasn't the only one with this thought. Every man we passed as we walked through the village gave the blonde a respectful nod, and the women gave him a smile and the occasional flirtatious look. He smiled back politely, but it was obvious he didn't like the attention when he picks up the pace.

Cloud never takes his eyes off the gate in the distance as he walks, but mine wander to Chocolina, who's packing up her trunk of goodies. I give her a wide smile and mime a 'thank you', and she waves at me with her feathered limb. When I reach the gate, Cloud hands me the artifact to 'do the honors', and I waste no time, in the hope that it leads me back to Snow.

 **Cid's POV**

Before we get to Barret, he turns to us and leaves the villagers with a big, stupid grin on his face.

"What the hell you got to smile about?" I ask.

"Ain't nothin'." He answers, although it was blatantly obvious that his old Neighbors had forgiven him.

"What's in your hand?" Vince asks in his usual monotone.

"Oh, yeah. They gave me some new materia. Feels like its got some kick to it." Barret answers.

"We'll test it on Yuffie later." I laugh. "Let's get back to my ship."

The three of us make it back to the Highwind, and they all look like kids in a candy shop when Vincent places the protective case that contained then huge materia on the operation room table. I see the squirt and the cat skip over to it with curiosity, but I block their path with my lance.

"Hey! We wanna see it!" The kid protests.

"That shit's like catnip to you, ain't it?" I huff. "Alright.. Vince show them the materia."

Vincent opens the case and steps back from the table so they could get a good look. Yuffie edges closer and closer until she's nearly dribbling over the crystal with excitement. She reaches out her thieving little mitts, and I'm about to slap them with my lance when Vince shuts the case.

"We have yet to determine what it is capable of." He tells her.

"What's that supposed to mean?" The kid sulks.

"It means that you ain't blowing up my ship by touchin' it!" I answer.

"You got the materia?" I hear Nanaki ask as he enters the room.

"Have I ever let you down?" I ask the beast. "Actually don't answer that."

"Then I suggest we get to Fort Condor. Shinra have sent a sizable force to secure the materia according to new intel." Nanaki tells us.

 **A/N: Nothing to say other than enjoy. Oh and I managed to preorder myself a copy of FFXV special edition. After ten years, it better be good.**

 **Wolf**


	46. Cie'th in the City

**Cloud's POV**

We're spat back out of the gate at the Sunleth Waterscape, and it's no surprise when we don't find Snow waiting for us. Killing the dragon meant the Flan couldn't keep regenerating, but it was still more than a match for the 'hero' on his own. Worried about her fiance, Serah dashes off to the crystal pillar where the Flan resides, and sure enough, Snow is laying on the ground. The pinkette's almost in tears, but I pull her back when I see an unnatural rainbow through the leafy canopy. Flames encompass the blonde brute, and from them the Phoenix rises. It hits the Flan with a wave of blistering heat that makes it's gelatin body bubble as it boils, before disintegrating into ashes. Snow rolls over, healed by my summon, but he was still at the mercy of the Flan. I send a bolt of lightning at the creature, drawing it's attention away from Snow while Noel and Serah pull him out of the way.

"What was that thing?" Serah asks.

"I'll tell you later. Serah, stay with Snow. Noel, I'm still feeling a little tender, care to help?" I ask.

"Thought you'd never ask." He says enthusiastically.

It was true that I'd gave the hunter a hard time since we met, due to our outlooks on life, but the more time I spend with him and his incessant optimism, the more he reminds me of Aeris. Always looking on the bright side. Always ready to help. He was a capable fighter too. For a normal person, he read the flow of battle quickly and possessed good technique, which would come in handy now.

"Magic, like the last time?" He asks, remembering it's weakness from our last encounter.

"Yeah, lets end this before it does any more damage to the crystal."

The pair of us run into it's 'kill zone' to prevent it from using any projectile attacks to keep Serah and the idiot from harm, and immediately we're met with it's flailing, slimy limbs. We take it in turns to attack while the other draws it's attention, but it soon becomes clear that we're going to have to cut it down, bit by bit. The hunter seems to come to the same conclusion, so when the giant Flan swings it's arm at me again, Noel freezes it solid with a wave of ice, and I cleave through it with my sword, shattering it's once jelly like limb.

"I think we've just figured out how to kill it." Noel tells me, to which I nod in agreement.

"You think you can freeze the head?" I ask.

"The other arm will take you out before you get up there." The hunter says with concern.

"Trust me." I tell him.

Noel doesn't acknowledge me, but he does as instructed, after dodging the creature's only remaining limb. His ice spell hits the Flan dead center, managing to freeze the majority of it's head. I use my comet materia, and within seconds, the large rock bursts through the trees and into the monster, shattering it's head. If there was a brain inside that thing, there wasn't any more. What's left of the Flan sways briefly for a moment before it can no longer hold it's semi solid form and melts away.

"Looks like I needed the cavalry after all. Maybe going solo was a bad idea." Snow pants when we make our way to him and Serah.

"You knew you had no chance of winning. Why did you even try?" Noel says as he stands over him.

"Fang and Vanille, I guess.." Snow sighs. "I knew it was stupid. But the pillar is getting eaten away, bit by bit. I can't just stand by and watch. Not when those two are in danger." 

"You couldn't just sit still and wait for help, could you?" Noel huffs. "Typical!"

"Hey, I do what I do, all right?" The blonde fires back.

"You're the worst of them all! I hate your kind!" The hunter roars, even taking me by surprise. "You think you're everyone's protector- everyone's hero- but who do you save, really?"

"Now you wait just a damn minute. You've been looking after Serah. And back in your own time, you protected your village, and your friends. Am I wrong?" Snow asks. "Seems to me, you and I are pretty much the same."

"No! You.. you don't get it. You don't know anything. You're wrong. We're not the same." Noel says, turning his back to us. "I couldn't protect anyone.." 

"Noel.. You know what, forget it. Maybe you're right." Snow says, trying to keep the peace. "But you've gotta survive. Because if you don't, then neither will anyone you love. I'm sorry I charged in on my own."

"Snow.." The hunter begins as Snow hobbles over to him.

"I guess what I'm saying is, you keep looking after Serah for me, okay?"

We all watch as Snow starts to glow slightly, eventually becoming semi transparent. I turn to Serah, who looks like her whole world is falling apart as she grips hold of Snow's ethereal body in an attempt to keep him from disappearing. He looks at me, wordlessly asking me to keep them safe, and I give the man a nod.

"My time is up."

"But wait! We resolved the paradox!" Serah pleads.

"Maybe that's the reason." I offer. "The timeline is correcting itself. Snow is a contradiction."

"No! Stop it! I won't let you go!" The pinkette sobs.

"Sorry Serah. I can't be with you here.."

"No! Please don't leave me! I can't loose you over and over."

"It'll be okay. Heroes never die." He says with his usual cocky attitude.

"A L'cie brand... But how?!" Serah asks, noticing the tattoo on his arm as her fiance fades to nothing.

"See ya." Snow's voice says softly in the breeze, leaving the pinkette crying uncontrollably on her knees.

As much as I wished I didn't, I understood the pain of goodbye. Not knowing if you'd ever see them again, and the hole they leave in your heart. It had lead me down a dark path, but I was determined that I wouldn't allow that to happen to Serah. I sit next to her on the grass and wrap my arms around her tightly as she tries to calm down.

"Why did he have the brand? Who made Snow a L'cie? Why?" She sniffs.

"He might not have been forced." Noel says, echoing my own thoughts. "Maybe it was something he asked for."

"Not in a million years! Who would be insane and stupid enough to do that?" She asks, and I have to stop myself from answering.

"What if you needed to protect someone? And you could only do that with the power of the L'cie?"

"But, everyone knows what happens to L'cie. Succeed or fail, they're doomed." The pinkette continues to sob.

"Snow only cares about the people he's trying to protect. Damn the consequences. Damn himself." Noel continues.

"I'd do the same.." I answer, thinking about Noel's words. If dooming myself meant saving Claire, I'd do it in a heartbeat. "This isn't over Serah. We'll save him."

"You mean it?" She asks. "How do you know we can?"

"Because I want my materia back." I laugh. "As long as he's in here, he's alive." I say, poking her head.

 _When two people part and go their separate ways, their memories split as well. Some people wish they could go back and be together like before. Others look forward to the day they can meet again. Serah, the future is yours. Follow your path. Don't stop now. -Lightning._

 **Vincent's POV**

Cid manages to get the ship over Fort Condor, and it looks like we're just in time. To the north east is a medium sized force of Shinra troops, lead by a Soldier second class. They march towards the cliff side village like a death squad; no doubt ready to kill every man, woman and child. All to secure a rock for a madman. To think that I was once part of this violent machine adds to my list of nightmares, but maybe I can use this demonic curse to right some of my many wrongs.

"Cid, set the airship down to the south west. It should protect it from the gunfire." I tell him.

"You think am stupid?!" He barks, but I just ignore him.

Despite his argumentative nature, he sets the Highwind down where I tell him, and me, him and Barret climb down to the fort. We're met by guns, in the shaking hands of frightened villagers, but they soon lower their weapons when they see the Avalanche leader. The 'fort' is little more than a cave system that sits below the reactor. To think of the wealth Shinra had amassed by sucking the life out of their homes was sickening, but that was all about to stop.

"I remember you." The village elder says. "You came with the blonde man and the two women."

"Er, yeah.." Barret answers, the innocent reminder of the people gone from our group stinging him. "Listen, we're here to help. How many men and supplies have you got?"

"We have about a dozen men out there now, and we still have the grenades the blonde man gave us. Cloud was it?"

"Get your men back inside." I order.

"We'll be sitting ducks inside here!" The elder argues.

"I will take care of it." I answer.

"You mean we?" Cid huffs.

"No. Both of you stay in here. Anything but me walks through that door.. Kill it." I tell him.

"Then what the hell are we supposed to do while you're out there takin' all the glory?" The pilot asks.

"..Drink some tea." I reply, taking the grenades before heading up to the reactor.

The would be soldiers head back inside at the sight of me, and I order them to shut the door behind me. I look up to the giant condor and it's egg, and it looks down on me, knowing that I was it's first and last line of defense. It would surely be two more lives lost if I where to fail. I watch the small army approach on the horizon as I take the handful of grenades and walk down the hill. While there was nowhere near enough to kill them all, they would serve as a great tool for psychological warfare. After placing the grenades behind the mako pipes, I return to the top of the hill. As I wait for their arrival, I close my eyes and disassemble and assemble my pistol, over and over again, each time with more efficiency.

My eyes open as the first shot rings out. In typical Shinra style, they fire blindly with no finesse, winning by brute force and aggression instead of strategy. I chamber a round into the barrel of my pistol, and wait patiently until the first wave of soldiers reach my first grenade. With a single shot, I hit the grenade, causing it to explode and sever the limbs of two soldiers and filling another with shrapnel. As predicted, their formation breaks up as they start to panic, and they take cover behind the mako pipes I had planted the other grenades behind. Three more shots is all it takes to wipe out half of the troops, as well as doing irreparable damage to the reactor.

Mako pours from the pipes of the reactor, and smoke clouds the battlefield, which turns deathly quiet. Wind blows the smoke towards me, shielding the advance of the remainder of the troops, lead by the Soldier operative. The man, dressed in the same uniform as or lost leader charges towards me with his sword drawn. I empty my gun into the surrounding infantry, leaving only me and the Soldier. The man moves with lightning speed, managing to drag his sword through my already tattered cape as I reload my weapon. I jump out of the way of his slash and fire a shot at his chest, but it's blocked by his sword.

"This if your one and only chance to leave." I tell the man.

"A Soldier always completes his mission!" He roars.

"Very well.."

I let the demons that spend every waking moment trying to escape my control, out of their cage, and I feel their power filling my body. The Soldier's eyes widen in the slits in his helmet, when take the form of the Galian Beast, but he still doesn't run. His sword slashes at me, but I catch it in my clawed hand and snap it in half, sending pure fear into the man. I grip him by the helmet and lift him off the ground. He struggles desperately against my strength but he made his decision.. I crush the helmet until I hear his skull crack, and blood pours from the mangled metal. Taking a deep breath, I drop the corpse and use the materia imbedded into my body to imprison the demon again. Opening the door to the lookout post, I flick out my cape first to avoid getting shot by Barret, and walk into the room.

"It is over.." I tell them as they look at me in disbelief. "The reactor has been damaged beyond repair. Shinra have no reason to come back here.."

"Come on, let's go see what you've broke." Cid says, taking his feet of the table as he finishes off his tea.

"Holy shit! You did this on your own?" Barret asks as we ventured back outside.

"Evidently.." I answer.

"Look! The Egg!" One of the villagers shouts.

We all look up at the rainbow shelled egg, which starts to crack. Light bursts from the broken pieces, and flames erupt from the light. I shield myself from the blast with my cape, and when the heat dies down, the monstrous condor drops off the reactor to it's death, leaving behind a baby bird; which was a giant in itself.

"A Phoenix." I mutter.

"Thought they were a myth?" Barret asks.

"Most myths are based on reality. There are monsters and demons in this world that defy existence."

"Let's hope we don't see any more on our journey. Am gettin' pretty sick of things attacking me." Cid says as the Proenix takes flight, leaving it's tattered shell behind. "And what do we have here." He adds, rummaging around in the broken shell.

"The huge materia?" I ask.

"Not quite. But just as good." He tells us as he waves a small red orb at us.

"Huge materia you say?" The elder ponders. "Follow me."

 **Serah's POV**

After a brief and unexpected stop to the void beyond, we find ourselves landing in the middle of a city that took all of our breaths away. The sheer scale took a while to get our head around. To think that people made this empire of glass and lights was unbelievable. Although he never said it, I got the feeling from the blonde that he didn't like the city. Maybe because of his rural home town, or something else. Sadly, I didn't get the chance to ask him about it, because as we admired the view, the carefree people of the city turned into monstrous Cie'th before our eyes.

"Only a Fal'cie could have done this." I tell Cloud as we fight off the creatures.

"So your people didn't learn their lesson after the last time then?" Cloud mutters with annoyance as he cuts through two of the Cie'th.

"We need to find it and kill it." Noel suggests.

"I'm up for that." The blonde answers. "Where do we start?"

"THAT, is a good question." The hunter huffs as he looks around the maze of glass and twinkling lights.

We spend the next hour racing through the city, as it tries it's best to confuse Noel and infuriate the blonde. Cloud and the hunter both took an embarrassing tumble, trying to run up the energy slopes, only to get thrown unceremoniously to the ground. Even in this dire situation, I can't help but let out a giggle as they both reel off the benefits of good, old fashioned steps. Sirens start to sound as we weave through the rainy alleyways of the lower city, as it tries to imprison us with forcefields. Cloud's brute force manages to get us through slowly, but after running around for this long in a city that could take a year to explore, Noel stops in the first clearing he sees.

"All right, All right. We give up. We won't fight anymore! So why don't you just show yourself?" Noel says, raising his hands up and surrendering.

Cloud gives Noel a look of disgust for giving up so easily, but his attention is pulled away by the sound of footsteps behind us.

"Caius.." He growls, instinctively stepping in front of me.

"Pretend to capitulate and buy yourself time. It's not a bad strategy." He mocks Noel.

"You've got no reason to fight me, Caius." Noel tells him, still with his hands up.

"Wrong. You are the enemy. You are contradictions in the timeline. I have every reason to eliminate you." Caius tells him. "Two hundred years ago, you learned the forbidden history, and where entombed in that tower as a consequence. But now you stand before me, alive and well once again. What can that be, if not a paradox?"

"Towers and forbidden histories? What's he talking about?" I ask.

"We've never stepped foot in that tower." Cloud answers, as I'm still trying to work out why he hasn't attacked Caius.

"There is no mistake. You are one and the same. A distortion. A contradiction."

"Caius, this isn't like you. If we were in your way, why not just stop us yourself?" Noel asks.

"A fitting sacrifice was required for you to comprehend your transgressions. To that end, I enlisted some... Assistance." Caius tells us, pointing up to the sky where I see the Pulse vestige.

No sooner does Caius tell us about the Fal'cie, he calls upon more Cie'th, which surround us. The purple haired man starts to walk away, leaving us to deal with the monsters. We kill them quickly, and I don't think the guilt of doing so will ever leave me. Seeing them stood their as normal people one minute, only to me turned into those 'things' sends shivers down my spine. The three of us race after Caius, hoping that their would be a gate along the way.

"Keep going. Avoid streets with lots of people to keep the monster rate low." Cloud commands as he takes the lead.

I'd always been fond of the big cities of Cocoon, but after wandering the cold and wet metropolis today, I try my best to remember home. More Cie'th; this time the flying kind, swarm around us like hornets, ready to sting us when we lower our guard. Our eyes are so fixated on the skies, that none of us saw Yeul, walking through the rain with her hands held high, until it was too late.

"Yeul, no!" The hunter shouts, rushing towards her. "Get away from her!"

Noel's warning goes unheeded, as one of the six winged Cie'th swoop down and knock the young girl to the ground. Even Cloud runs to her aid, hitting the nearest monster with a blast of fire. The hunter fights with the relentlessness the blonde usually does, eventually making it to Yuel, and kneeling down by her side.

"Yeul, are you okay?" He asks with a tone full of worry.

"Look out!" Cloud roars, rushing to them. But it was too late.

A mass of slimy tendrils fire out from a large Cie'th that none of us saw. The blonde cuts through one, as well as getting speared by another, but it was Yeul who received the most damage. The tendrils pierce her abdomen and pull her out of Noel's hands, before finally throwing her to the ground. Filled with anger, the hunter rushes in with both swords drawn as I rush over to the blonde, who's tending to his own wounds.

"Here, let me." I smile, using my magic to heal his wound.

"Thanks. Lets go help- Never mind.." Cloud says, pointing in the direction Noel was.

The hunter slashed away at the huge, mutant Cie'th, cutting it down bit by but until there was almost nothing left. Once he wass satisfied that it was dead, Noel rushed over to the young Seeress and cradled her in his arms. She seems lifeless, so Cloud takes out his emerald coloured healing materia to use on her, but Yeul's hand pushes it away gently.

"Yeul, why?" Noel pleads.

"I saw death. If I where to live, it would bring contradiction to... to the timeline.." She says weakly.

"But why?!"

"It's because of us.." I tell Noel. "Just like Caius said. We're causing a paradox to occur.. Because of that, Yeul has to.. She has to.." I continue, dropping my weapon and falling to my knees when I realize her death would be our doing.

"Caius? Caius is not here." Yeul tells us.

"You mean, he's not in the city?" I ask.

"No.. I don't think he was ever here." Cloud tells me.

"Yeul! Hold on!" Noel pleads as her body goes even more limp.

"I am not the Yeul you once knew. But thank you." She smiles finally before dying.

"For the love of Etro, don't thank me.." The hunter sniffs as he hugs her lifeless body tightly.

Yeul's body turns to light and floats off into the night sky, leaving behind an artifact, which falls gently into Noel's hands. A golden glow catches my eye, and it was as if the young Seeress was showing us the way. Me and Cloud wait for a moment, while the hunter comes to terms with yet another loss, as my own guilt sets in. Her fate rests entirely in our hands. Every time we alter time, we cause her to see visions which eat away at her life..

 **A/N: 201 Reviews! =O Thank you all soooo much. I'm going to start speeding the story up some more, but I won't be missing out on my favorite part of the whole game, which is coming up soon. To answer some questions.. After the ff13-2 section is ended, we'll be jumping back to finish up the original ff7 story. After that... Well I'm leaning towards Advent children. I have a really good idea that will tie the two together but I'm always open to suggestions. I could only pre- order the deluxe edition of ffXV, which consists of the game in a steelbook, the ffxv movie, a fancy suit for Noctis, paint the car and some weapon DLC (masamune). Id have bought the ultimate one but it was Square enix only. I didn't want to wait potentially weeks to have it shipped before I could play the game. Played the free demo before too. Took longer to download than to finish haha. My expectations are low, and tbh other than the fact it looks pretty, nothing has excited me about it, so it can only be an improvement lol.**


	47. Chicken And Egg Paradox

**Cloud's POV**

We step through the gate, only to be sent to the tower that the artificial Caius had told us we where once imprisoned. I get a glance of him ascending the tower, and my legs instinctively give chase. As we ascend the tower, we come across an A.I in the form of Alyssa, Who tells us about the 'forbidden history' and the Proto Fal'cie project. With every floor we climb, I become more and more uneasy as I think about what I'd learned so far. It seems that the very machine Hope had built to raise Cocoon from it's crystal pillar had been the one who killed him and took control of the city.

When we get to the top, we find another Yeul, who seems to be waiting patiently for us with an artifact. It was a strange thing to be talking to the girl that I had watched die, not too long ago. But I'd come to accept that strange had become the normality. As usual, Noel is the one to rush straight over to her, but I slow my pace and scan the area for Caius. I know he's here, somewhere..

"Yeul. Are you on your own?" Noel asks her.

"I brought you this." She answers, nodding and offering up the artifact.

"Why? What should we do with it?" Serah asks.

"You must protect the timeline. I saw you in Oerba. I trust you. I believe in you."

"We're in the same time as when we met in Oerba. So, you're the same Yeul." I state, remembering that it was that Caius who tried to kill us. "But, who are you? Who are the Farseers?"

"I am the Seeress of the oldest tribe on Pulse. My visions of the future are recorded and stored in the Oracle drive." She explains. "But that... is long in the past. There is no more need to record the prophecies. I have caius now." 

"What do you mean?" The pinkette asks.

"He is tasked with protecting the Seeress and remembering her visions." Yeul answers. "Now and forever, he will remember the entire timeline. Caius, he is beyond death."

"What? You mean he can't die, ever?" I gasp, as the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.

"The Seeress possesses the eyes of Etro. And inside Caius beats the heart of Chaos." The Seeress replies. "The Goddess has gifted him with the curse of eternity. He is a guardian, and his mission is to protect the Seeress. The power to see the future is a terrible weapon. It can turn history into chaos."

"But then, I don't understand. Why are you helping us? I mean, you know we're trying to change history, right?" Serah says.

"History has already been broken." Yeul says with a sigh. "The timeline had been twisted before I met you. The distortion leads to a future of death and destruction. If you change the future, you can change the past and correct the distortions. The miracle that saved Cocoon has already been altered. Someone who was meant to survive did not come home."

"..Claire.." I sigh, thinking of the pinkette that I so dearly wanted to see.

"Yes. It was because the future was changed by an unforeseen entity." The young girl tells us.

"The Goddess?" Noel wonders.

"No.. A man. Professor Hojo." I scowl. "Can the timeline be fixed, without me loosing her?" I ask.

"I can only see the future that presents itself today. To fix the timeline could have adverse effects to those who don't belong."

"You mean me." I sigh.

"Only when it has already been decided, can I see your fate."

"Can you tell us something else?" The hunter asks. "Someone has been laying traps for us inside this tower. Do you know who's behind it?"

"Your enemy. It is here inside the tower. It has generated the contradictions that threaten you." Yeul points to the large, central brain of the tower. "The machine. It is sentient."

"Machine?! So the Caius who we met earlier in Academia, he was a fake?" Noel wonders

"An imitation created by the machine." Yeul replies.

"But the real Caius is here, isn't he?" I say, stating rather than asking.

"Yes. He brought me here. And when we are finished. He will take me away."

"Let's go." Serah says with new found confidence.

"Yes, Go. And please, let me see a new future." The Seeress says, seeing Noel's hesitation.

"We'll do it." Noel promises her as Serah fiddles with a computer console, making the gate come into view.

 **Caius' POV**

I linger in the shadows as Yeul requests, and I can see the blonde's cold and calculating eyes scanning for me. It seems much simpler to just kill him now, but my plan had already been put into motion, so sparing Yeul from the sight of unnecessary bloodshed was a small price to pay. In the long run, I would succeed in saving her, and this cursed heart means I can afford to be patient. I had tried to explain to her my plan, but she does not approve of me molding time for her sake. Such bravery she shows in the face of death.. And at such a young age.

The unwanted gift which beats inside my chest has always been a curse to me. But when the blonde warrior learns of my immortality, a grin escapes my lips. Through countless wars, I had quickly learned the power fear brings to the battlefield. He who controlled the fear in other men became victorious, and over the centuries, I had become it's living embodiment. Soon, that man will know the fear uncertainty brings, and the pain of loss.. I watch him step through the gate, but I know this would not be the last I saw of him.

"Everyone is smiling... This is the future I wanted to see." Yeul says with a smile, pulling me from my thoughts.

Her life left her body as her words left her lips, and yet again I'm forced to watch someone I cared so deeply for, die for no other reason than a foolish Goddess' misplaced gift. The white daisy she had clung to from Oerba fell from her wilted grip and rested by her side on the cold floor of this metallic monstrosity. I pick up the flower as I make my way over to her, knowing just how much she liked them, and I scoop her up in my arms. A lone tear falls from my face, onto hers as I stand. I have lived out this scene hundreds of times, and it has never once got easier.

"I shall remember your pain. It will be carved in my heart. Together with the memories of every other Yeul, cursed to die this way." I promise her.

The walk out of the tower with nothing but my own thoughts is something I wish I could avoid. Upon the Seeress' death, my mind recalls our journey together. Although every Yeul bore the same soul, their hearts were always different. That difference shone through in their personality. As I raised her from infancy, it quickly became apparent that her love was nature, and it's wild beauty. And her attachment to flowers soon had me wandering the grassy plains of the Waterscape in search for her favorites. So cruel that she should die in such a cold and artificial place.

 _(DREAM)_

" _Hey, Daddy. What about that one?" An infant Yeul asks me, pointing at a pale pink rose._

" _What have I told you, little one? I am not your father." I tell her._

" _But you look after me, and protect me. Isn't that what one does?" She wonders. "So you must be."_

" _I can't be." I answer, trying to stop my voice from breaking._

" _But why?"_

" _Because a father should never outlive his daughter.." I answer with a heavy heart._

" _I don't understand." She tells me, finally deciding to pluck her chosen flower._

" _For now, you don't need to." I tell her, taking the flower and placing it in her soft hair. "Go and play."_

" _Will you tell me the story about the Phoenix again, tonight?" She asks with sparkling eyes._

" _Of course." I smile as she turns and skips through the grass. Little did she know that I was telling her, her own story, not that of a make believe bird.. Soon I must tell her about what her dreams truly mean. But for now, I enjoy being in the presence of her innocence._

 **Serah's POV**

When we leave the Historia Crux, it seems like we'd been sent to another part of the tower. The circular platform we are stood on, looked older than anything we saw from Academia, but the blank walls that cocooned us inside seemed to be made from a mass of screens, which gave off a pale blue light. My thoughts turn to the young Seeress, who would no doubt see a vision at any moment, and die because of it.

"I'm worried about Yeul." I sigh.

"Yeah. But if we're going to fight, we can't afford to have doubts. She's hoping for a better future, and believes we can make it." Noel tells her.

"I agree." Cloud adds.

Our attention turns to the wall of screens, which turn from a pale blue to a recording of the fake Caius attacking us in Academia. It only appears briefly, before the entire wall turns crimson, and a low rumble sounds from below the platform. Mog instantly turns into my bow as my hand reaches up to grab him, and the two boys are already prepped for combat. Two drill like arms fly over us, and the body of the machine Yeul warned us about emerged from the depths of the tower.

"The proto Fal'cie! So this is what Yeul meant by sentient machine." Noels shouts.

"This thing has been behind everything. It's the one who turned the people into Cie'th. And it's the one who's been trying to kill us in the tower." I add.

"This thing is a machine.. And like all machines, lightning will stop it in it's tracks." Cloud says calmly, taking an offensive stance.

We all follow the blonde's lead, and eventually the Fal'Cie fell to our magic. The red wall of light turns to darkness and the Proto Fal'Cie's control over the system diminishes, giving me the time to finally stop and think about just what was happening.

"I don't understand. How did the future Proto Fal'Cie end up here?" I wonder aloud.

"This place must be like the Void beyond. A crossroads where the future and the past intersect." Noel guesses.

"And that would enable time travel.." Cloud says, still scanning the room.

"Do you realize what this means? The Proto Fal'Cie could have used this place to travel through time and infiltrate the artificial intelligence. Then it could have manipulated the AI to kill all of the humans in the tower, and build the Fal'Cie of Academia's future." I explain.

"You're saying the Proto Fal'Cie took control of the AI and ordered it to build... The Proto Fal'Cie? It's a closed loop, a chicken and egg paradox." Noel replies.

"I hate technology... Nothing's ever simple anymore." Cloud growls, irritated by the whole situation.

"It's not all bad, Cloud. But Noel, you're right. A paradox is exactly what it is. The Proto Fal'Cie was trying to protect the distortion that gave birth to it."

"So it knew all along that it was part of the paradox." Cloud adds as he wraps his head around who whole mess. "Guys, we have a problem."

"What do you mean?" Noel asks the blonde.

"Think about it. It's a closed loop. It can travel back in time and rebuild itself." The blonde explains.

My eyes widen as the realization of our situation sunk in, and right on cue, the paradoxical Fal'Cie materialized out of nowhere. The three of us take up arms again, but the harsh reality of our situation was that we were fighting an enemy that could not die. With no visible escape, beating it down for a brief respite was all I could hope for.

"I don't know about you, but I really don't wanna die in here." Noel huffs as he rolls out of the way of the drill like appendages of the Fal'Cie.

"We need to beat it quickly. A prolonged fight will drain our strength quicker." Cloud tells us.

"Prolonged? You realize this is a never ending fight, right?" Noel asks.

"Just move out of the way." The blonde orders, pulling out a red materia I've learned are his summons.

The hairs on the back of my neck stand on end, and several of the red monitors built into the walls burst with an overcharge of electricity. A bolt of deep blue lightning strikes the ground between Cloud and the Fal'Cie, blinding us all for a moment like a flashbang. When our eyes readjust, we marvel at the sight of an old man, who has a long white beard which almost touches the floor. Noel glances across as us with a frown when the old wizard takes a struggling step with his staff towards the enemy, who is probably trying to process what it was.

"You ran out of dragons and ice Goddess'?" Noel asks.

"Just watch.." Cloud points.

The buzz of electricity echos through the tower, and arcs of brightest lightning splinter off his staff violently, striking the tower's walls and destroying most of the red screens. The old man, who seemed like he could barely move a second ago, lifts his ancient wooden staff high into the air, and lightning rains down around him, hitting the Fal'Cie several times. The enemy lets out a godly growl, but Cloud's summon is not finished. He raises his staff above his head like a spear, and throws it directly at the undying monster. The deep rumble of thunder echo's after the sharp crack of lightning, and a blinding flash fills the room.

"What was THAT?" Me and Noel ask together as we find the Fal'Cie was completely destroyed.

"Ramuh." He answers.

"Whatever it's called, the old guy kicks ass." Noel praises.

"Not that it's going to do us any good.. Look." Cloud says, pointing to the Proto Fal'Cie, which is slowly materializing again. "This is all Hope's fault. Him and his stupid technology."

"Huh?" I frown.

"Serah, Cloud's right. He was the one who started building these things. The Proto Fal'Cie and the AI. If we can't stop this thing from regenerating, we're never gonna get out of here!" Noel explains.

"I'm not dying in this tower. So I suggest we think of something.. Quickly." Cloud says, making sure he was the first to engage the target.

"I'm open to suggestions." Noel tells him.

Cloud and Noel fight off the monster, but I can't help but think about our situation. We could kill this thing a thousand times over, and it could just rebuild itself. It couldn't be defeated from where we are. By this point in our journey, we'd all grown strong. But not even Cloud could fight this thing indefinitely. I think about Lightning and what she'd do, but as I do, I remember the oracle drives, and how people could use them to see the future. That's when it finally dawns on me, and I come up with a plan.

"Hope! Can you hear me!? I've got a bone to pick with you! These machines you built-" I begin to charge at the enemy with my sword pointed in front of me.

"Serah, get back!" Cloud cuts me off as he see's me charging towards the Fal'Cie.

".. Are driving me nuts!" I finish as I attempt to spear the giant being with my sword.

The tip of my blade doesn't find the metallic surface it was expecting. And without the resistance, nothing would stop me from falling off the platform. I quickly turn my body in the hopes that I wouldn't be too far away from the ledge, but Cloud is there with his arm outstretched. He catches me and pulls me back to the safety of the platform, leaving the three of us alone. We wait a moment, just to see if the creature came back, and to our relief, it didn't.

"How did you do that?" Cloud asks with avid curiosity.

"I just had a feeling." I tell him.

I start to feel faint, so I quickly sit down, just in time to watch flashes of a vision take over my senses. I see Caius.. He's attacking the three of us, and it seems like none of us are even a challenge for him. My sight returns to find Cloud and Noel looking down on me with worried expressions.

"Serah, are you alright?"

"Can you hear me?"

"Yeah, sorry, just went a bit light headed.." I answer.

Noel breathes a sigh of relief, but it's clear that Cloud sees right through me. Like always though, he doesn't question me on it, but instead stands there smiling to himself. I walk over to the terminal in the room, hoping it would summon a time gate, but when I see the grin still on his face, I have to know what he finds so funny.

"What?"

"When you get mad, you remind me of your sister." He laughs.

"Be careful. She might be watching, you know." I let out a giggle.

 **Tifa's POV**

The barren wasteland around Midgar was actually a welcome change to the blistering cold of the northern continent. It broke my heart when I left without finding anything, but after too many close calls with frostbite and the dangers of the glacier, I was left with little choice but to accept I would not find Cloud.. At least not here.. Still, there was something telling me that he was okay. His heart might belong to Lightning, but he'll always have mine. That connection is telling me that he's out there, somewhere.

I walk through the shadow of the city that brought so much pain to the world, and make my way towards Kalm, hoping that Elmyra and Marlene would still be there. It takes a little less than seven hours, but once I cleared Midgar's shadow, the walk was pleasant and the warmth of the sun on my face had a relaxing effect on my mood. I wondered what the others where up to right now. I hope they're alright.

When I finally make it to the castle walled town of Kalm, I step inside the inn that we stayed in at the beginning of our journey. The inn keeper quickly rushes over to me with a shocked look on his face, taking me by surprise.

"It's you! Did she find you?!" He asks.

"Woah, slow down. What do you mean?" I tell him.

"The girl the blonde man left here. She woke up shortly after you left. She ran straight after you!"

"Yeah, she found us." I force a smile. "Is a woman and a little girl staying here?"

"Not here. I did hear about a little girl and a woman being taken in by one of the houses in the village."

"You know which one?" I ask.

"It's a few streets away. It's got a big tower poking out of the roof. You can't miss it, miss." The inn keeper smiles.

"Thanks." I say with a smile.

I walk back outside and have a quick scout of the sky, looking out for the tower that the inn keeper told me about. Eventually I find the spire poking out in the distance. As I make my way towards it, I can here my name being called, seemingly from nowhere.

" _Tifa! Tifa! Up here!"_

I look up at the tower's window to find a set of eyes behind a brunette fringe, just about sticking up over the window ledge. In an instant I knew it was Marlene, and my legs take over. The door of the house opens before I can get to it, and the little girl that meant the world to me comes running out.

"Marlene!" I shout with tears in my eyes.

"Tifa! I missed you!" She hugs me. "Where's daddy and Aeris and Cloud?"

"I.." Was all I could mutter when my gaze finds its way over her shoulder and back to the doorway, where Aeris' mother stands with a smile. "Here, Marlene. Take this and buy yourself some candy from the shop. I need to talk to Elmyra."

"Yay! We'll eat them together. I won't be long!" She skips off with a happy smile.

"Are you okay?" Elmyra asks me as soon as Marlene is out of earshot.

"I should be asking you that question.. I'm sorry I couldn't save her." I tell her, bowing my head in shame.

"Like I told your pink haired friend. It's not your fault. How is she anyway?"

"She's gone.. Cloud too." I explain, suddenly realizing just how bad the situation had become.

"That girl was in a dark place when she rescued us, but there's a light of determination inside of her." Elmyra tells me. "Come inside."

"What exactly did Light say when you saw her?" I ask, wondering if there was some way I could get her back.

"Once she freed me and Marlene, she handed me her weapon and told me to kill her. I was so taken back by her actions. It was the first time I had ever met her, but it was enough to know just how selfless she was. The guilt must have been killing her.. But Aeris told me what happened. She was just as much a victim as my Aeris."

"Wait. Aeris told you?" I frown, unsure of what she meant.

"She spoke to me. In my dreams." She answers, as if it was the most normal thing in the world. "That poor girl is on a path to destruction. Are you here to find her?"

"Actually, I was trying to find Cloud.. It's all falling apart around me. I thought If I could find Light, then maybe we could find Cloud together, but she's gone too."

I explain our adventure since we left Midgar, just managing to finish as Marlene walks back through the door with two hands full of candy. Pulling out the PHS that Vincent gave me, I dial and Yuffie picks up. She sounds excited to hear from me, but eventually passes the phone to Barret.

"Marlene, I've got someone here who wants to talk to you." I say with a smile, handing the phone to the young girl.

 **A/N: Another one done. Out of all three ff13 games, I hated the stupid tower bit the most. Getting to the next level and noticing an item below that you missed, grr! Anyway, moving on.. Every time I write a Caius POV I keep thinking to myself that I actually want him to win. It wasn't mentioned much in the game from what I can remember. But when one Yeul dies, another one is born somewhere, and Caius takes them once they say their first word. So from the age of say, 2-17 Caius raises her, which says a lot for their bond, which I'm trying to reenforce in this story. After advent children there seems to be two options. Dirge of Cerberus or Lightning returns. When the time comes, I'll leave that decision up to you wonderful people. Just remember though. We've still got to finish FF13-2, the rest of ff7, then Advent children lol. So I wouldn't worry about it for now. Caius will always have the potential to re-appear down the line as he survives the trilogy of games. Poor guy can't even kill himself lol.**

 **Great mako war won't be abandoned, but for now, this takes priority as it has much more readers.**

 **FFXV related: Yes there is an Advent children style movie called Kingsglaive coming out with the game. It's set at the same time I believe, and is about what king Regis is doing back home while Noctis is out kicking ass and taking names. Some big actors doing the voices too. Sean bean is playing Regis, Aaron Paul is playing someone of importance too.. There's a few more, but I forget.**

 **Also, about the demo, there's some hidden weapons you may not know about. At the end when you're 'big Noctis' if you warp up to the tower in the middle, you can drop down onto a balcony with 2 prize things to stand one. One is a shield and one is a Shuriken and are fun and useful. Also, weapons seem to have 'special' moves. The great sword for example. If you hold O it just does a little combo. But if you release it for a second then hold it again, Noctis starts glowing blue and charging. Let go of O and he does some major damage. Also, the higher you are up the tower, you can warp attack the iron giant and stagger him for good damage. You probs all know this, but I thought I'd mention it.**

 **Enjoy**

 **Wolf**


	48. A Dream Of Death

**Serah's POV**

It was like something snapped inside Cloud's already easily agitated mind when the gate sent us to a sunny Academia. His fists are clenched and I can see his chest dilating heavily as he tries to calm himself down. I see Hope and Alyssa rushing towards us with happy smiles, but the smile soon fades when Cloud grips him by the scruff of his jacket and drags him closer.

"After fighting Fal'Cie with Lightning, what possessed you to build one?!" Cloud growls. "She could have died!" He adds, pointing over to me.

"Easy there." Noel says, tapping Cloud on the shoulder.

"No, he's right to be angry." Hope agrees, despite being visibly shaken when the blonde drops him. "It was quick thinking what you did, Serah. We saw your message and scrapped the project."

"You heard that?" I ask, kind of embarrassed that he actually heard me shouting at him.

"Come by my headquarters when you've got some rest. You're guests of the academy." Hope smiles, dashing off quickly with Alyssa skipping behind him.

"I dunno about you, but I'm hungry." Noel says as he cradles his abs.

"Yeah, that's not a bad idea actually." Cloud agrees. "Let's go find somewhere to eat."

The three of us take a pleasant stroll through the sun filled city, and to my shock it was the blonde who was doing most of the window shopping. He averts his eyes the second he sees me looking, and I'm desperate to know what he's looking for. But I've learned quickly that if Cloud didn't what you to know something, it was best not to ask. We walk past Chocolina, who gives us all a cheerful smile, and eventually we find a restaurant and order enough food for ten people. The waitress must have thought that we'd not eaten in the past week, and I guess we hadn't properly. None of the food and drink lasts more than a few minutes on their respective plates, and soon enough, we were left looking at a table full of empty porcelain.

"Here, order some dessert. I'll be back in a minute." Cloud says, handing me some money to pay and scarpering out of the restaurant.

"Think he's gone to kill hope?" Noel jokes. Although I wouldn't put it past the blonde.

"Hey, look!" I point excitedly out of the restaurant window.

"I don't believe it. Cloud is actually talking to Chocolina. Should we find a doctor?" Noel laughs.

"I wonder what he's doing." I mutter to myself as he hands her over a large stack of money, only to be handed a small velvet bag, which he quickly tucks into his pocket.

Cloud returns within moments, and I quickly order dessert to look like I wasn't spying on him. He glances at us with a frown that was enough to put both of us off asking him about it. We had soon finished all of our food, and for the first time since I met the two boys, I felt full and ready for action. Cloud stands up first and leads us out into the gentle sun. I know he wanted to get out of the city, but we should at least hear what Hope has to say.

It takes us nearly an hour to navigate our way to the Academy headquarters. We pass by a time gate, but we don't even stop as we walk past it. Without an artifact, the gate was useless to us, but I made a mental note of it's location anyway. The building itself was brilliant white and larger than anything else in the city. It served as a central hub for all of the buildings and in it's heart, Hope was surely working hard on a way to save Cocoon. My eyes wander to Cloud, who has a stern look on his face as we approach the reception.

"Something on your mind, Cloud?" I ask him

"How can Hope and Alyssa still be alive? We must be hundreds of years in the future- What sort of lifespan do you people have?" He questions, realizing that being from a different world, or physiology may be different.

"I imagine the same as you guys. Between 60-100 years old I guess." Noel answers. "I'm sure Hope has an explanation."

"We'll see.." He replies with a growl.

The receptionist greets us with a warm smile, and points us in the direction of director Hope. It's strange to think that the young boy that was forced into a journey across Cocoon and Pulse would grow up to be such a strong and intelligent young man. Most of the achievements that we've accomplished as a civilization have been down to him. Cloud on the other hand is still mistrusting, just like my sister. Still, I'm sure when he get's to know Hope better, he'll come to trust him. Eventually, we come to a large door, which is guarded by two soldiers dressed in guardian corps uniforms. The blonde gives them a sad glance as they open the doors and step aside. They must be another reminder of my sister.

"Come on, buddy." Noel says softly, placing a hand on Cloud's shoulder and ushering him through the door.

The room Hope stood at the helm of was like nothing I could have imagined, and seemed even more advanced than the tower that the Proto Fal'Cie called home. In the center of the huge room was a bright green hologram of Cocoon. Or perhaps it was a new ark for us. Around the hologram were rings of platforms on different levels; hall having mobile work stations that could move around freely to any part of the room. Alyssa see's us coming first, and waves us other with a grin.

"How are you still alive?" Cloud demands bluntly.

"Cloud.." I sigh.

"It's alright, Serah. He's right to be cautious." He smiles. "It soon became apparent that we could not fix the problem of saving Cocoon within one lifetime. So I constructed a time capsule, which would keep my body in suspended animation until there was sufficient progress.. But in truth.. I just wanted to make sure I was around to see all of my friends when I fixed this mess."

"Hope, what is this?" Noel asks, pointing to the holographic sphere.

"That is our new home. Or at least a model of it. Originally, I started the Proto Fal'Cie project in the hopes that I could use it to re-levitate Cocoon. But when I stumbled upon a certain oracle drive. I saw you three fighting the Proto Fal'cie. And I saw you screaming at me. 'Your machines are driving me nuts!'"

"Well, I was getting pretty ticked off by that point." I blush.

"Well, exactly. So we were forced to reevaluate the project, and eventually abandoned it." 

"Okay. You saw Serah getting mad at you, so you canceled the project, and then poof, the Proto Fal'Cie disappeared. Is that about right?" The hunter asks. "We didn't destroy it so much as it never existed in the first place."

"We were following the wrong path to the future. If we allowed it to continue, it would have become a second Eden, and we'd be back to where we began."

"Funny. You loose your temper, and the future changes." Alyssa laughs.

"The vision of Cocoon falling still stands. Have you come up with a solution yet?" The blonde questions.

"Yes. Stopping the giant Flan has given us enough time to build a new Ark. One that will be levitated using only human technology. It will still take about a hundred years, but we have the time capsule. So I can see the project through to it's completion." Hope explains.

"How can you make something so large float?" Cloud continues to interrogate, but more out of curiosity than suspicion now.

"With graviton cores. It's a little hard to explain how they work, but they do. It takes five of them to lift our new home off the ground, and they're powered by the sun."

"Then we're not needed here? We can go find Light?" Cloud asks.

"Yep. There's a gate in town that was broken for some time. But it appears to be working properly now." Alyssa tells us. "And guess what I found right next to it?" She adds, offering up an emerald green, crystal artifact to the hunter.

"Maybe it takes us to the day Cocoon's pillar collapses." Noel wonders. "The one where Caius is fighting."

"Then let's go. I've got a promise to keep." Cloud orders.

"We'll do everything we can on this end. I wish you all the best of luck." Hope nods.

Me, Noel and Mog follow Cloud out of the building, and through the city of lights. He marches with authority through the crowds of people, whilst checking his weapon and fiddling with his materia. By the time we reach the gate, the magnitude of what we must do is beginning to show on us all. Noel could still see the Caius he once knew in the man who is determined to bring the world to it's knees, and me and Cloud want nothing more than to have Light back at our side again. To fail now would be to have wasted the lives and times of five centuries of people.

"I'm not sure where this gate will throw us, but we need to work together. Caius is strong.. Maybe stronger than all of us, but we need to stop him. Because if we don't, it's not just this world that's lost." Cloud tells us in a sombre tone. "Ready?"

"As I'll ever be." I nod.

Noel offers up the artifact to the gate, and the golden aura pulls us inside the Historia Crux. We float through the mass of jagged iron rings and focus our gaze on the distance. A low hum turns to a rumble, before a bone shaking explosion throws one of the rings onto the others and deflects it towards us.

"Look out!" Cloud roars, pushing me out of the way.

Cloud throws Mog to me, just at the ring strikes him, knocking him out of our reach. I reach my hand out to Noel, who's closer to me, but I can feel a force pulling us apart. A second later, darkness consumes me, and I feel myself being thrown onto cold stone. I climb onto my hands and knees, not having the energy to get up, and look around. It looks like I'd been sent to the Void beyond. But this time I was alone. Mog lays in his bow form just a short distance away from me, and I pluck up the energy to get over to him.

"Mog!" I shout, but I'm still left with an inanimate bow. "Come on, Mog.." I beg. "Cloud! Noel!"

Mog's weapon form disappears from my grip, adding that final shred of loneliness that made me feel cold and vulnerable. This distorted reality was unnerving, and my only hope was to find the others. The strange world looked more broken up than the last time we visited, but it forced me to take the only route available, which I hope meant that Cloud and Noel would not be able to stray too far. I start to walk up the gentle climb of shattered platforms, and something caught my eye in the distance. _Yeul!_

"You're yeul, aren't you?" I ask the young girl.

"Yes. I am one of many Yeuls. From your perspective, I'm a Yeul from an ancient past." She answers.

"But where are we? Are we trapped in this place?" I question.

"I am not truly here. I only watch events from a distant time. This place? It is a shadow of Valhalla. In the depths of the unseen realm, I see you held prisoner."

"A shadow of Valhalla? What kind of world is Valhalla anyway?" I ask, never fully understanding the world my sister was trapped in.

"It is a place where all stands still. It is a future that follows destruction. A world where even time is no longer." She tells me.

"Are you saying I can't ever leave?" I gasp.

"If you do not escape, the dream will go on forever." She tells me, before turning to light and fading away.

"Wait, don't go!" I plead.

My begging falls on deaf ears, because yet again, I was alone. I'd never thought about it much because they where always there, but I always felt safe when Cloud and Noel were around. I guess now is the time that I see if my sister's fearless attitude had rubbed off on me over the years. I continue to climb up the broken stone steps, and I grateful to see another Yeul waiting for me on the next platform. Wasting no time, I run over to her.

"You're a different Yeul, aren't you?" I say softly when I approach her.

"Yes. You have not met me yet. I call your present age my home." She answers me. "You and I are the same. We are blessed by Etro, her chosen servants."

"Servants of the Goddess?"

"The power to step outside the timeline. The power to witness the future. These gifts come from Etro. Her servants are known by her blessings."

"My sister is also somewhere in Valhalla. What's her part in all of this?" I ask, hoping to slowly get a better understanding of her situation.

"The warrior? She stands guard over Etro's temple. She is unable to leave the unseen realm. And so, she turned to you for aid." She tells me, right before disappearing, only for another to appear in the distance.

"I suppose you're another Yeul aswell?" I smile.

"Once upon a time, there were six and one L'Cie, and their story is a miracle. The destinies of the six were bound- bound through the completion of a focus that belonged to the one."

"The six? That was Lightning and Snow and the others. And the one, that would be.. Me?" I guess.

"The Goddess Etro saw that the L'Cie fulfilled their tasks. She saw their courage and took pity on them. She blessed the six, and the one, and one other, a child. And so she released them from a prison of crystal."

"You mean it was the Goddess who saved us that day?" I say in disbelief.

"Yes. And shortly after that happened, something unforeseen occurred. One of the L'Cie were taken by a force that was not governed by our Gods. And in doing so, corrupted the timeline. When the one returned with a foreign body, the damage was multiplied."

"Foreign body? You mean Cloud?" I wonder.

"No. He is opaque to my visions. Protected by a powerful force that allows him passage between worlds. I am referring to another entity. I plague."

Again, Yeul fades away, and I'm left wondering how many more I would see as I looked for an exit. Another flight of stairs passes my by, and eventually the familiar sight of the young Seeress tells me that I'm on the right track. I start to walk towards her, but I stop briefly when I see what she's staring at. It was a throne, made entirely out of crystal, which floated over a vast nothingness. It reminded me of my sister, and the dream that started this adventure. But I'd never stopped to think about the person who was supposed to sit there. Continuing to Yeul, I stop by her side and join her in looking at the throne.

"You're Yeul, too. Which era do you come from?" I ask.

"I am the one who lives in all the ages.. I am the one who dies in all the ages.. I am the one who suffers countless partings, again and again."

"Have you come to tell me something?" I question as I step in front of her, to face her.

"You summoned me here. In this place, you can see all of you're heart's desires come true."

"I don't understand."

"Look. This is the place where all time flows. The dreams of humanity are washed ashore. A world without beginning or end... A world closed upon itself.." Yeul explains as she steps closer to me, changing her usually relaxed monotone to a more angry one before speaking again. "Why do you want to change time? Why do you try to stand in his way? Why do you continue on this journey?" She continues as she grabs my wrist tightly. "As you change the timeline, you come closer to death."

"How?" I wonder, now feeling intimidated by the young girl, who looks up at me, inches from my face.

"But, now.."

 **Caius POV**

"Your journey is over." I tell her as Yeul disperses into the chaos.

"I don't understand!" She says with a panic stricken tone when she turns to find me.

"You don't need to!" I growl.

Drawing my blade with a reverse grip, I charge at the pink haired menace and slash at her. To my surprise, her moogle weapon materializes just in time to stop her from being cleaved in two. She fights wildly, like a cornered animal. Driven by fear, her attacks where filled with desperation, which starves her muscles of the finesse she may have once possessed. Still.. I can see a flicker of her sister's determination in her eyes. Perhaps she will put up more of a fight than Noel.

Using my Eye of Bahamut attack, I send a wave of chaos energy towards her, but she manages to leap out of the way, leaving an already broken pillar to absorb the impact. The once stone pillar turns into a cloud of powder, which breaks up our sight of each other. I walk through the dust with my blade held high, ready to strike the pinkette, but she is nowhere to be seen. When I hear her weapon change into it's bow form, I instantly realize she had used the temporary cover to flank me for a counter attack. I turn around and bring my blade across my body, using it as a shield to shatter the crystal arrow she fired my way.

I was quite capable of killing her in an instant, but then she would not learn of her crimes, and would not have adequately suffered for her, and her friends actions. Pacing towards her, she bravely stands her ground and holds her sword out in front of her. She does not wait for my attack, and instead slashes upward, only for her sword to be stopped by my own. For a moment, I see her sister's face in her own as she scowls at me, but the fear returns to her when I push her back across the platform with a swift swing of my weapon.

"You fight bravely." I commend, pacing towards her slowly.

The pinkette waits till I'm within her weapon's range, and lunges the tip of her blade at my face with a grunt. I call upon the power of Chaos; which flows freely through this land, and vanish before her sword reaches me. Reappearing again behind her, with our backs facing, I wait for her to feel my presence. In less than a second, she realizes where I am, and spins on her heels as she cuts, only finding air again. I rematerialized upon the throne of Etro; the seat belonging to the Goddess I shall soon slay. Waiting casually for Serah to locate me, I sit casually on the crystal throne, looking down on my prey.

"Noel gave up much more quickly than this.." I sigh, unhappy with the hunter's progress. If I fail to kill the Goddess in Valhalla, I expected Noel to kill me. But alas.. he is too weak..

"What have you done to him?!" She barks.

"He is living in a time and place where he knows only joy. He acknowledged his defeat, and now he is at peace."

Her heart sinks as she takes in my words, lowering her guard enough to have no chance of blocking my ruin attack. The pinkette is hurled across the floor by my attack, and the wind must have been knocked out of her, because she struggles to get to her feet. Still.. such determination is admirable.

"No, I don't believe you! Noel would never give into you!" She shouts, eventually getting up and aiming her bow-sword at me.

I let out a huff and shut my eyes, waiting for her to demand more answers. It surprised me that she hadn't asked about the blonde man yet. No dreams await him.. Only nightmares. The sound of Serah's bow releasing a crystal arrow pulls me back to reality, and it takes all of my power over the Chaos to freeze everything, just in time to stop the arrow, which is suspended inches from my forehead. Jumping from the lofty throne, I walk towards the frozen pinkette, now ready to tell her the truth of her actions.

"Child of miracles. Traveler of time, guided by Etro. Listen to me." I say, walking behind her and brushing my fingers across her face, to show her just how powerless she was to stop me. "Each time you fulfill a wish of your heart, someone else's dream is shattered.. You conjure miracles, but when you do, the seeds of tragedy are sown in other lives.. Are you prepared to bear that burden? That responsibility?" I add, walking away from her and unfreezing time.

The arrow crashes into the crystal throne, and Serah's shoulders drop in exhaustion. I don't wait for her to turn around as I stab my sword into the ground and using my eye of Bahamut attack, which blasts her into the nearest pillar. She hits it with enough force to crack the stone, and falls to the ground with a whimper as I approach.

"But why, Caius? Why do you fight us?" She asks, reaching for her weapon.

"To save her.." I answer, standing on her blade. "Long ago, your sister was taken from this world by an unknown force.. When she returned, she brought with her a plague that did not belong.. For you, it was a miracle. For Yeul, a sentence of death.." I tell her, having to compose myself before continuing. "In that moment, immutable history was transformed. Time was twisted. And with each distortion of the future, the life of the Seeress was cut short.." I continue, thinking of the countless deaths I had witnessed. "So often have I seen this... Seen her wilt before my eyes.."

I clench my fist in anger, desperately trying to suppress the emotion that I had fought so desperately to restrain. Serah looks up at me, almost in pity. Or maybe it was the guilt of her actions which had finally sunk in.

"When time is in flux, the future changes, and Yeul is consumed." I continue. "So I shall dam the river of time, and tear down the foundations of history! Only then will Yeul's suffering come to an end."

"You're going to destroy history, just so you can save Yeul?" She asks me.

"Yes." I answer, confirming just how far I would go to save her.

"You have interfered with my task at every turn, But your meddling is over.. I will kill Cloud strife and then return everything to Valhalla.. In a place without time or future, Yeul will be free for eternity.." I say, as Serah finally gets to her feet, but I vanish once more.

"Caius?" She says in a panic.

Reappearing behind her, I pierce her back with my blade, and lift her off the ground, still impaled by my weapon.

"Surrender now to your hearts desire.." I tell her as she takes her final breath.

 **A/N: This is quite possibly one of my favorite scenes in any final fantasy game. Love Caius' emotion in it. Didn't bother to do a Noel POV as it would have been 2 lines long lol. Poor guy gets minced haha. Next chapter will be what you expect. Cloud vs Caius, followed by some Cloud back story. You all have to promise to only read it if you have 'Heart of Chaos' playing really loud in the background. You may have noticed I cut out the graviton core bit. It just seemed like 5 filler chapters, and I don;t know about you, but I'm missing my favorite Farron.**

 **I have my plan for how Advent children is tied into this story, but I'm gonna need some ideas for Lightning returns if I do take it that way and not Dirge of Cerberus. As the entire game consists of Lightning on her own doing menial, boring tasks. And I fear if I made it all up it would basically be a carbon copy of 'a Great Mako War'. I enjoyed the game, but it would make a pretty crappy story. If you have any ideas of tying the story into LR or DOC, please add it to your review or PM me. A lot of good idea's have come from my wonderful readers. Anyway.. Thanks for reading, let me know what you think =D**


	49. Bodhum Bliss

**Cloud's POV**

I hit the ground before my sight returns to me, rolling briefly across the rough stone before coming to a stop. Again, I jump to the conclusion that I'm in Valhalla, but I quickly realize that it was nothing more than wishful thinking. My eyes dart around the Void Beyond with no success as I try to locate the others. Standing up, I notice for the first time since I landed here, that I didn't have my sword.

"Damn.." I huff, looking around in the hopes that my weapon wasn't far.

My thoughts turn to Serah, who I'd begin to care for like a little sister. She had quickly become a formidable fighter that was a match for most of my own friends, but being alone with the horrors this world has shown me, has me worried. I can only hope Noel is still with her. Knowing that I'd never find her if I stayed put, I begin to walk through the rubble which made up an ever climbing pathway. This place looked even more broken up and contorted than the last time, but it must still have a way out.

"Serah! Noel!" I shout.

"They are not here." I hear the familiar voice of Yeul coming from behind a pillar. "But something your heart craves is." She adds when my eyes finally find her, pointing up a flight of stone steps.

"Heart craves?" I frown with confusion until it hit me. "Claire!"

I race up the steps as fast as my legs would carry me, but I'm left frozen when I reach the top. There she was, stood at the foot of a crystal throne, wearing the same ornate armour I had seen her in last. Stuck in the ground beside her was my buster sword, to which I barely gave a glance. Her eyes gave off that faint mako glow, and I feel my heart beating loudly in my chest when she lets out a rare and beautiful smile. I sprint over to her, desperate to feel her lips on my own, and to run my fingers through her pale pink locks, but as I get within a few feet, her warm smile turns into a sinister grin and she is engulfed in dark Chaos.

I try to stop myself as the vision of Lightning disappears into the Chaos, but I'm still running when the Chaos turns into a concentrated blast, hitting me in the face. It felt like I'd been punched to the ground by someone as big as Barret, and I'm left looking up at the cosmic sky, dazed and confused. The sound of footsteps catch my attention, so I try to get up, but a dark, fur lined boot presses down on my chest.

"So predictable.." Caius says smugly, looking down on me.

"Where's Serah and Noel?" I cough.

"They are enjoying their eternal sleep. Dreaming of their desires.." He tells me. "I'm afraid only nightmares await you." Caius adds, raising his sword up high, ready to impale me.

His sword slams down and my hands instinctively grip the jagged edges of the blade, stopping it before it cuts me in half. The sword was serrated and riddles with imperfections, adding to the pain as it cut into my palms. Blood pours down my arms as I push the weapon away from me, releasing my tension at it clears my body. The second I hear it hit the stone besides me, I send a blast of fire at the man, separating him from his sword. Caius lands at the foot of the throne, but my sword is too far away. I look down at his own, wicked sword and pull it from the ground. It was a similar size and balance to my own, but it felt odd; almost alive. I could feel the dark aura radiating from it, but for now it would have to do. I change at Caius, who looks at me with mild disgust as I raise his own sword against him. I slash down at him, but he rolls his shoulder out of the way and hits me across the face with a left hook.

"That sword is the spawn of the Chaos, and holds within it the eye of Bahamut. We are one and the same, and thus, it answers only to me." Caius tells me as I feel my hand start to burn.

I drop the sword in an instant, and again I'm left unarmed. Caius pulls my own sword to the ground and sprints towards me. With no desire to be cut down by my own weapon, I send a wave of ice towards him and creating a wall of razor sharp ice between us. The wall of ice explodes, showering me with frozen shards, forcing me to protect my face. My eyes leave him for less than a second, but that was enough for him to pick up his own sword as well as mine. The purple haired man tries to use the pair of swords like scissors, but I lean back just before the blades close where my head once was.

"Face your worst fear!" He shouts, reveling in his brief upper hand.

I knew studying Noel would come in handy some day, and now seems to be the time. I watched him fight with his two swords and memorized his movements. Caius was much faster than the hunter, but he was now fighting with the same style. He looks at me with a frown when a smile escapes my lips and I charge at the man. I hit him with a bolt of lightning; which he tries to avoid, but the electricity makes contact with my sword, and shocks him just long enough to deliver a somersault kick that Tifa would have been proud of. Caius is lifted into the air by the force of my kick, and another bolt of lightning is enough to release his grip on my weapon. I reclaim the buster sword as the guardian rolls back onto his feet, ready to continue.

"You cannot defeat me!" He roars. "Join your beloved in death!"

Caius slams his sword into the ground, and a beam of dark chaos bursts from the eye of Bahamut. I quickly do the same, but I summon up my quake materia. The stone floor erupts violently and falls in on itself, knocking the man off balance and dispersing most of the chaos.

"She is not dead!" I roar back and use my comet materia, calling upon all of its power.

With the Void Beyond not being on either of our planets, I don't concern myself with the damage I might cause to it. Dozens of comets fall from the sky like hail smashing down around us like bombs. Caius rolls out of the way of one of the large rocks that plummeted towards him, and blasted another out of the sky with his magic, but the bombardment soon overcame him. When the dust cleared, I couldn't believe he was still standing. The purple haired man was injured, but far from finished.

"You truly do have the powers of a guardian." He praises. "You and I are not so different after all."

"I'm nothing like you." I growl. "And this strength is a curse.."

"Indeed.. I did not want this eternity, but I shall use it to save Yeul.. And end the Goddess who gave it to me." Caius says. "But you.. You failed to protect your Seeress. You will never get home to take the life of the one who gave you this monstrous power.. And you will never save the warrior Goddess from her fate."

His words cut worse than anything he could do with his sword. I couldn't save Aeris. I can't get back home to stop Sephiroth, or Jenova, or Shinra for that matter.. But one thing I did know. Nobody would hurt Claire.. Caius stands his ground as I charge at him, not even bringing his sword up to defend himself. I leap into the air and bring the buster sword crashing down, but it only meets the black aura of Chaos before smashing into the ground. I pull my sword free and turn on my heels, but he was right there. His jagged blade pierces my chest, and the guardian effortlessly lifts me off the ground.

"No gilded dreams await you. You shall be locked in a never ending nightmare.. living out all of your past failings.." Caius smiles. "But fear not.. I shall send Lightning to accompany you soon enough." He adds, lifting me higher so I slide down his spiky blade. My eyes grow tired, and after a few seconds, I feel death take me.. I failed again..

 **Serah's POV**

"Hey, Serah! Wake up!" I hear a familiar voice shout as my eyes open and I sit bolt up right in a panic. "What are you doing, sleeping out here?" Lebreau asks as I find the members of NORA stood around me.

"It is a really nice day for a nap." Maqui laughs.

"Where am I?" I ask wearily.

"Not in your bed, for starters." Gadot teases.

"You still dreamin'?" Yuj asks.

"Maybe I am.." I answer, still trying to work out what was happening. Could this be what death is really like?

"Hey, let's go." Gadot commands, ushering them all back towards the beach.

I'm left alone on the grass that sits on the edge of the sandy beach. When I climb to my feet, I notice my clothes had changed back to what I was wearing before the meteorite hit, and my hand finds its way under my top as I search for a wound. I don't even find a paper cut, and it floods my head with questions. I felt Caius stab me.. It was pain like I'd never felt before, yet hear I am, alive and well. Strolling down the beach brought back happy memories, and perhaps that's all this was. The newly rebuilt NORA house stands less than a hundred yards away, and I wonder if the mirror Cloud said he came through was still on the wall.

"Hey, there you are." I hear Snows voice say joyfully as I step into the house.

"Snow! What are you doing here?" I gasp.

"What, I'm not allowed to hand out in my own place?" He asks with a grin.

"B-but, you went looking for my sister! You left ages ago!"

"What are you talkin' about?" He frowns. "Lightning hasn't gone anywhere that I know of."

"What?" I murmur.

"She's livin' right here with us. Ever since we got married. Remember?" Snow tells me, looking at me like I'd lost my mind. "Hey, you okay?" He adds, taking a step towards me.

"... I.. I don't understand.." I panic, rushing away from him and back onto the beach.

My feet are already on the sand when I notice everything is distorted. It reminds me of the day the meteorite fell. It looked like the whole world was fading away into smoke, until all that was left was the beach and the sea. That's when I saw her, standing on the end of the small wooden pier, looking out onto the sea. I race over to my sister, praying that this wasn't some sort of illusion.

"Is that really you?" I ask sheepishly.

"Welcome home, Serah." She greets me with a smile when she turns to face me.

"Lightning. Why are you here?"

"Because you want me to be." My sister answers.

 _'In this place, you can see all of your heart's desires come true.'_ Yeul's words echo in my head.

"You've changed history, and now you're back where you belong. This is it. Your adventure is over." She continues, holding out a hand to me, just like Snow. "Serah, come with me. Your family is waiting."

In front of me stood all I ever hoped for. My sister, Snow and the others, all together in our little piece of heaven. But deep in my heart, the truth still glinted like a razor. This wasn't real. It was a dream. If I accepted it, my journey through time would end. But.. My sister was here. Snow was here. If I stayed, I'd be with everyone I'd ever loved. This is what I'd been searching for this whole time. I found my home. I'd found my happiness.

"No.." I mutter, surprising myself.

I had come to far to throw it all away now.. what stood before me was just an illusion. I know I could come to accept it, and it would be a shortcut to bliss, but to do so would mean forsaking my reality. The real Lightning, the real Snow; there were out there somewhere. My thoughts soon turn to Cloud and Noel. They could be in danger, fighting of Caius on their own. I won't abandon them.

"Lightning, I'm so sorry." I answer.

Her smile vanishes in an instant, and her trademark stoic expression returns as the world turns a shade darker. Lightning vanishes into Chaos, leaving me alone once again.

" _Serah, don't give up."_ A voice echo's through the wind.

The voice is a familiar one, but I can't place where I know it from. The glorious sun I had woken up to has vanished; replaced by a murky gloom. I'm left with no idea how to escape this dream, so I walk across the beach aimlessly for a while, until I wonder about the gate where the meteorite once fell. It takes a while to navigate the rising planes, but eventually I make it to the crater. There wasn't a gate waiting for me, but there was something even better.

"Vanille!?" I gasp, sprinting over to her. "Vanille, is that really you?"

"Well, that's a good question. Hm, put it this way. It's the real me, but inside a dream. I'm still sleeping in the crystal pillar, you see." She smiles. "And you're still dreaming away, too. So its like, we're meeting inside each others heads."

"So this is a dream, after all." I confirm. "But, why did you come?"

" _Because you needed help!"_ Another voice shouts.

"Oh, you've never met Fang before, have you?" Vanille asks as a dark haired warrior woman appears from the Chaos.

"We've come to pull you out of this fantasy of yours." She says, resting her red spear over her shoulder and walking towards me with all the confidence in the world. She reminded me a little of my sister.

"You're trapped in a dream that never ends, somewhere in the Void Beyond. If we don't help, you'll never wake up." Vanille continues.

"And that my girl, is why we're here." Fang adds, leaping up and striking the ground with incredible force, opening up a golden rift in time.

"Good one, Fang!" Vanille cheers.

"Thank you!" I praise, almost tearing up in excitement.

"We're just showing you a way out. You're the one who made the decision to wake up and leave this world. If you hadn't rejected the fake Lightning, we would have never been able to reach you, and you'd be stuck in your dream." Fang tells me.

"I almost believed her- the fake Lightning, I mean. But then, I remembered my sister is fighting in Valhalla. Snow and Hope are fighting to make the world a better place. And Cloud and Hope.. Cloud has fought so desperately to get back to my sister.. I hope they're okay.."

"Cloud?" Fang asks. Her bronze face filled with curiosity.

"He comes from another world. He loves Lightning, and he's kept me save all this time." I explain.

"I'd love to meet the man to holds Light's heart. Maybe one day I will.. But for now, you've got to rescue your other lost friend." Fang smiles as her body pours with light. "Looks like our time is up." She adds finally before fading away.

"I'll save you.. I'll save you all." I promise, stepping through the rift.

I fall through the rift, landing in a place the looked like hell. The sky was blood red, with jet black clouds, and the ground was a dull silver for as far as the eye could see. It looked like sand, but as I pick a hand full up, I notice it sparkling slightly as what little light is here catches it as it falls through my fingers. _Crystal sand... This is the end of Noel's worl_ _d._ My eyes search the darkness, eventually stopping on something I couldn't quite make out in the distance. I walk cautiously towards it, eventually realizing what it was.

"Boy, oh boy. This one put up a hell of a fight. Hunting alone is harder than it looks." Noel pants as he rests on the corpse of a Behemoth.

"Noel!?" I shout, but he doesn't respond, and instead lets out a growl as he stretches.

"But this should do for the birthday feast." He talks to himself.

He runs towards me with a smile, but when I realize he wasn't slowing down, I close my eyes, ready for him to barge into me. Instead, he runs right through me as if I wasn't there at all. Turning around, I find the hunter rushing back across the dusty valley. I chase him across the valley, until I see someone else in the distance. A shiver runs down my spine when I see him, but I continue anyway.

"Caius!" Noel shouts, as he rushes over to him.

"Did you get one?" Caius asks him.

"Yeah, all by myself." The hunter says proudly.

"You're improving. It must have been a difficult hunt." Caius praises.

"Naw, it was as easy as anything. Too easy in fact. I got bored." Noel lies, trying to impress his friend.

"Yes, you are ready to become the one true guardian."

"Why does there have you be one true guardian? I don't get why I have to replace you." Noel sighs.

"Because, Noel, that is the way. You are ready to challenge me to a duel." The purple haired man tells him. "If you defeat me, the sacred pact passes to you. Just as I once defeated my predecessor."

"What happened to him, anyway?" The hunter asks.

"I killed him." Caius answers with no emotion in his voice. "That is the law of the guardians. There can only be one. Noel.. If you wish to succeed me.. You must kill me."

"There's no way, Caius. I want to fight you, not kill you." Noel shakes his head in anger, taking a step from the purple haired man.

Caius vanishes before our eyes, leaving Noel alone and angry at his offer.

"You can't do this. I need more time before I can beat you." He shouts into the wind. "You can't just leave like that."

He lingers for a moment, but finally marches onward with his head down, we come to the ruins of a small village, that looks like it's long been abandoned. Every now and then, I think I see a faint shadow of a person, lingering in the crystal sand, but they vanish as soon as I look at them. After a few minutes, Noel's head shoots up, and his slow march turns into a quick dash.

"Hey, I'm back!" Noel shouts to Yeul, who walks from behind a nearby building.

"Hi, Noel. How was the hunt?" Yeul asks with a smile. She looked the same as the others, but the way she looked at Noel was different. It was the look I give Snow..

"I bagged a huge one. I wanted something special for tonight." He beams, using his hands to show her just how big the Behemoth was.

"You mean for my birthday? So you remembered!" She grins, her tone filled with joy.

"How could I forget? Tonight's feast will be the best yet!" He promises. "Although, I wish we could have more people, like in the old days. Maybe a party with just three people will be kind of depressing."

"No it wont." Yeul shakes her head. "It'll be lots of fun. As long as you and Caius come, it'll be great."

"Well, okay. If you say so." The hunter nods, not sounding too convinced.

Yeul vanishes just like Caius, and it finally dawns on me that this is also Noel's dream world and not just a memory. I remember Caius tell me that Noel was living in a time where he knew only joy. But up to now, there was nothing I considered joyful about this place. I continue to follow him, wishing he'd eventually acknowledge me, but he never does. Again, he finds Caius who looks like he'd been waiting for the hunter.

"Well? Are you ready to kill me?" Caius asks as if it was nothing.

"No, I'm not. Today is Yeul's birthday, Caius. It's not the time for this." He sighs. "Look. I will fight you. But not to the death, and not until tomorrow. After I win, I'll receive the power of the guardian. Then we can leave this place, and protect Yeul together."

"Leave and go where?" Caius asks with genuine curiosity.

"To where other people are living, of course." Noel tells him. "I know. I know there are more people out there, somewhere. If we find them, Yeul won't have to feel so lonely anymore. She'll feel happy again."

"That is a vain hope, and you of all people should know it." Caius sighs.

"But, there must be something we can do."

"There is one thing." Caius tells him. "Kill me."

"Not this again." Noel huffs, walking towards the guardian.

"The heart of Chaos beats in my chest- a manifestation of Etro. Should this heart stop beating, the Goddess will die once again. When the Goddess dies, the Chaos of Valhalla is unleashed. The Chaos has the power to warp the timeline and destroy the past." 

"I don't know what you're talking about. I don't care how many times you ask, I'm not killing you!"

"If you cannot.." Caius growls, gripping his sword. "..You must die instead!"

I scream for Noel to look out, but he does not hear me. Caius' sword rips up the crystal sand as he draws it and immediately starts to attack. Somehow, Noel managed to get his sword up just in time to block the purple haired man, but it becomes clear that even with two swords, he was quickly overwhelmed. In less than a minute, the hunter is disarmed and thrown to the ground.

"It is as I feared. You are too weak." Caius sighs, almost disappointed that he wasn't killed.

"I don't understand you, Caius. This talk of killing you, and destroying the past. You think and of that will make Yeul happy? Do you really?"

"I don't want to please her. I want to save her." He answers truthfully as he begins to walk off.

"Where are you going? You're going to leave us? Just like that?" Noel protests.

"I shall go to Valhalla. I will kill the Goddess, and set Yeul free." Caius answers defiantly, marching into the shadows.

Was it wrong that I didn't blame Caius for what he was doing? I know he had to be stopped, but he didn't want power, or glory. All he wanted was to save the one person he cared about in the whole world. Isn't that what any of us would do? Again I'm left to question if this truly was a battle between good versus evil, or two equally guilty parties, trying desperately protect the one they love. I know I'd do anything for my sister, and Snow.. My thought's turn to Cloud, who I hope is not being subjected to such horrible dreams. I only peeked briefly into a moment of his past, but it was enough to know that it wasn't a pleasant one.

Again, I find myself chasing after the hunter, who slows as he approaches Yeul, who is knelt in front of an oracle drive, which stands behind a large, silver statue of three women, each standing higher than the other. Knowing what I now know about Yeul, I'm trying to prepare myself for what is surely about to happen, but the tears come anyway. The young girl collapses in Noel's arms and looks up at him with a great sadness in her eyes.

"Noel... It's strange. I knew all along that this day was coming. But, I'm still not ready... to say goodbye. I wish we could stay together.. I'll miss you, Noel." She tells him as she touches is face. "You don't have to cry. We will meet again.." She says finally, giving the hunter a brief smile before fading away.

I have to look away and dry my eyes. Every Yeul was different, but that was the one Noel loved. Everything vanishes but Noel, and a light shines down on him from the heavens. The hunter closes his eyes as he's slowly lifted off the ground by the light, but I refuse to let him go. I rush over to him, hoping that he would be more than just a dream, and to my relief he was. I grip his hand tightly a nd shout.

"Noel!"

"Etro?.." He mutters when he turns to look at me.

"Noel, don't you remember me?" I ask.

"Serah!" He gasps, as it all comes flooding back to him.

"You've been living in a dream, Noel. But I've come to take you away from it. I'm sorry."

"All dreams, have to end sometime.." He smiles. "You've helped me wake from mine. But it seems like we're missing someone."

 **A/N: Apologies for the delay. I decided I was going to treat myself to a motorbike but I haven't found the right one yet, despite a week of looking. But excuses out of the way, there's not too much left for the ff13-2 section of this seemingly never ending story. I think I've solved the dirge of Cerberus/ Lightning returns problem thanks to your reviews and PM's. Got one or two good ideas, but by all means keep them coming. Let me know what you think, and I promise the next one won't take as long.**

 **Wolf**


	50. Failure's Dreams

**Cloud's POV**

I almost can't believe it when my eyes open, to find a dark, star filled sky. I lay on the ground for a moment, trying to work out what had just happened when the smell of smoke fills my nose. Turning my head to the side, I instantly wish I would have died when I see my house pouring with flames. The heat starts to build, blistering my face and forcing me to stand. Perhaps I was dead, and this was my hell.

My eyes catch Sephiroth's who grins wickedly through the flames before turning his back to me and walking back, towards the reactor. I run inside my house, passing a collapsed Shinra soldier who lay outside. The smoke was thick and acrid, and the heat was burning my lungs, but I continue inside, desperate to find my mother. She was the first of many deaths that would haunt me for the rest of my life. I trip up on the step that leads down to the beds and fall into the pile of ash that was once my mattress. The embers burn my skin, but I continue to search the house.

"Mom!" I roar as the heat becomes so great that it shatters the windows, allowing even more oxygen into the inferno.

I get no response, and after searching the entire house and finding nothing, I'm forced to evacuate. Closing my eyes and going into a coughing fit, they open again to find Nibelheim had vanished, and I was stood in the reactor in the mountains. The image was blurred, but in see Tifa wrestling with Sephiroth, only for him to slice her from hip to breast. She tumbles down the stairs and I rush to catch her, only for her to zip through me like I wasn't even there.. Again the image changes, and I'm stood on the crystal staircase that leads down to the forgotten city. I race down, finding Aeris on the altar on her knees and another me rushing down to meet her. The others are lagging behind, but knowing what comes next, I close my eyes. This was something I never wanted to see again.

"Cloud!" I hear Serah's voice echo at the base of the crystal staircase.

My eyes shoot open to find her and Noel waving at me below. I go to lift my own hand to wave back when it suddenly dawns on me that she was about to see her sister kill someone. I sprint down to her as fast as I could, but glancing at the altar, I fear I may be too late..

"Serah! Close your eyes!" I beg, still too far away from her.

My words fall on deaf ears, and the pair are fixated on the scene below. Still running, I watch as Claire leaps from one of the top spires of the city. I pray that things somehow turn out differently, but they don't.. I make it to Serah, just as her blade rips through Aeris' back. I hug her tightly and push her head into my shoulder, to block the sight from view.

"Serah.. Don't look.." I sniff.

"I don't understand." She mutters in disbelief, still trying to peer over my shoulder.

"I need you to know, that it wasn't her fault.. Your sister is a good person." I say finally, cupping her face with my hands and looking into her eyes.

"I need to see this.." She tells me, gently removing my hands and turning to face the altar.

" _..._ _W-What have I done?..."_ Claire mutters, when Sephiroth relinquishes control.

We watch as Claire drops her weapon before dropping to her knees. She scoops up Aeris in her arms and tries her best to heal her as the blood pours over them both.

" _..No, no, no, no, no, no, no."_ She mumbles to herself as each attempt to heal the brunette fails.

"You don't need to watch this." I tell her, turning her back around. "How did you get here?"

"Caius, he killed us. Or at least we thought he did. He tried to trap us in a dream world." She explains, still struggling to take her eyes off the scene below. "This.. this is what your nightmares are about, aren't they?"

"..Yes." I answer. "Some of it's a blur. I still don't understand certain things."

The dream changes again, and I'm stood in the white trees that surround the small pool Aeris is laid to rest in. We all watch as the dream me walks into the water with Aeris in his arms.

" _I'm sorry... I failed you.. I was supposed to be your bodyguard.. To protect you from Shinra.. Instead I allowed my own demons to take you.. I'm so sorry... Don't blame Claire, blame me.. If I'd have stopped Sephiroth in the first place.." I hear myself say. "Your death won't be in vain.. I promise you that.."  
_

I feel Serah's hand grip my own, and Noel's on my shoulder. I never wanted to share this with them, but I was grateful for their support. Still, I had no idea what I was going to do, or how to get out of this dream world. I know one thing though.. I didn't want to watch any of that I'd just seen again. Walking to the water's edge, I look down at my own reflection, only for it to flicker briefly into someone else. It had happened to me before, but this time I know the dark haired man is somebody I should remember.

"Serah, how do you get out of the dream world?" I ask.

"I think it's different for everyone. Things went all blurry when I I refused to believe in my dream." The pinkette tells me, looking onto the water.

"Serah rescued me from my dreams. I couldn't see her until I was close to death." Noel adds.

"So I need to die?" I ask, quite ready to end it all now.

"Let's call that plan B." Serah smiles. "When does your dream go blurry?"

"In parts that I don't fully remember.. Things that don't make sense." I reply.

"Then maybe if we can make sense of your past, we can find a way out." Serah suggests.

"Can I pick plan B?" I groan.

"Nope! Let's figure it out. Cloud, take us back to the very beginning." Serah smiles.

"How?" I frown.

"It's your dream. You're in control." Noel tells me.

 **Serah's POV**

What I had just seen would stay with me for the rest of my life. I have never doubted my sister's character before, and I don't doubt Cloud when he tells me that it wasn't her fault, but it's hard to see any other explanation. That poor woman died by my sister's sword.. She never stood a chance. I replay Cloud's words to the woman over and over in my head as I fight desperately to hold back the tears. I knew the blonde was not the cold hearted warrior that he lets the world see, but I never expected to hear words filled with such sorrow pour from him. That girl meant the world to him, yet he still did not blame my sister. They say love blinds you, but perhaps it was his love for Lightning that made him see that she wasn't at fault. I only wish he'd explain it to me properly..

Cloud reluctantly explains what it was like for him growing up, and the promise he made to a girl called Tifa to come back one day a member of Soldier. At first he just described them as monsters, but Noel pressed him some more, and eventually the blonde explained what Soldier was, and what happened to the men that where selected. What he went through must have been horrific, but the reward for such pain was the unmatched power that he clearly had. It takes him a while, but Cloud manages to bend his nightmare to his will, and show us the entrance of his home town. Four men walk into town, where Tifa is waiting patiently. Cloud, two riflemen and a man the blonde told me was Sephiroth.

"I bet you and Tifa had a lot to talk about after five years." Noel states. "She must have been so proud of you."

"I- I don't remember speaking to her.. I don't remember joining Soldier.." Cloud mutters with his head in his hands. "I remember what I saw.. But.."

"Easy there." Noel smiles at him. "Why don't we move forward a little. You might find your answer there."

Cloud manipulates the dream world until we're stood at the foot of some red, metal steps that are surrounded by silvery pods with small viewing windows that glowed like Cloud's eyes. On top of the stairs was Sephiroth and Tifa, who wrestled over the silver haired man's sword. The young brunette is quickly overpowered, and cut down by the man. By now, Cloud knows it's a dream, but he runs to try and catch her anyway.

"The reactor.. I don't want to watch this again.." The blonde pleads.

"I know.. But this is the only way." I explain. "Who is that?" I add, pointing to the man that runs straight through our ghostly bodies.

The man was dressed just like Cloud, with the same sword, but he was taller, and had jet black hair. He runs up the stairs, completely overlooking the dying brunette, and enters the room Sephiroth went in, which was labeled 'JENOVA'. Less than a minute later, he's launched back through the door, and down onto the pods below. Cloud hesitantly walks over to him, looking like he's seen a ghost.

"Z-Zack.." He mutters.

"You know this man?" Noel asks.

"Cloud, how can this be your memory, if you aren't in it?" I question.

As if on cue, I get my answer. One of the two riflemen rush inside, pausing briefly over the brunette girl before taking the buster sword from the black haired Soldier and marching to Sephiroth. Cloud rushes off up the stairs after the man, and the two of us follow right behind. The three of us line up inside the doorway, just in time to watch the infantryman charge up a huge, red pipe and Impale Sephiroth, who was stood in front of a glass tank which contained the most frightening thing I had ever seen.

" _...Who... Who are you?.." Sephiroth winces with pain._

" _Mom... Tifa... My home town.. Give it back.." The masked man mutters in a voice I recognize instantly. It was Cloud. "I had so much respect for you.. I admired you..."_

Sephiroth clutches his chest in an attempt to stop the blood from pouring out of it as the masked man walks back to the entrance, discarding his helmet before he left to reveal a mass of spiky blonde hair. Cloud looks almost as baffled as we where, but he follows his dream self back down the ramp, where he picks Tifa up and carries her to one side.

" _Just like you.."_ Sephiroth's deep tone has all of our eyes back onto the top of the stairs, where we find the silver haired man, clutching the head of the alien woman in the glass tank, as he staggers down the stairs and through the lower door.

" _Cloud... Kill Sephiroth.."_ Zack's voice pleads.

The dream Cloud in the blue infantry suite gives the dying man a nod and sets off after the Sephiroth. Again, we follow the dream Cloud through the reactor, past a set of huge brass cogs, which turn with a metallic chime, and onto a narrow walkway, which was suspended over a smoking, turquoise liquid.

" _Sephiroth!"_

" _Don't.. Push.. Your...luck.."_ Sephiroth growls, piercing the dream Cloud's chest with his long sword and lifting him off the ground.

Even though it was years ago, the blonde still grips his chest in pain when his doppelganger is impaled. To everyone's amazement, the dream Cloud grips the blade that burst through his torso and forces himself back to the ground, before reversing the situation and lifting Sephiroth off the ground. Blood pours from the blonde's hands, but he continues to lift the silver haired man higher and higher.

 _"_ _This can't be!"_ Sephiroth gasped as Cloud threw him down into the reactor below.

"You survived that?" Noel says in amazement. "You were just a kid."

"I.. I killed Sephiroth.." Cloud tells himself.

"Cloud, your eyes.. they're not glowing there." I point out.

"I never made it into Soldier.. I never underwent the Mako showering. So how am I like 'this' now?" He wonders to himself.

No sooner did he ask, did the vision change again. We where stood inside a damp and dirty, stone basement at the foot of a large mahogany table that was littered with test tubes full of glowing liquid and other chemistry equipment. Bookshelves lined one side of the room, leading down a small corridor to a desk, but it was the other side of the room that drew our attention. Two large tanks glowed with the same liquid that was at the base of the reactor, and inside where two men. I watch as Cloud slowly walks over to the tank and rubs the condensation off the glass, recoiling as he does.

"What's wrong?" I ask.

"..That's me." He answers, quickly checking the other tank out. "Zack.."

" _So, you want to be in Solider? Hang in there."_

Footsteps turn our attentions from the tanks towards the doorway, where a sinister looking scientist with greasy black hair struts in. By the scowl on Cloud's face, I knew he was bad news, but all we could do was watch him in this dream world. We watch as the man throws a small electrical lever on the wall and a strange ball of rings similar to a time gate lowers from the tall roof. It starts to spin slowly, but it soon picks up speed and begins to pour off the golden aura that time gates did. Then, in a flash, my sister is laying on the damp floor.

"Claire!?" Cloud gasps, forgetting himself and rushing to help her, only to fall through her like a ghost.

My sister attempts to stand, but something in her leg makes an audible crack as she puts some weight on it, making me feel sick.

" _Excellent! It worked better than I could possibly have hoped for!"_ The scientist cackles.

My sister's eyes widen when she see's Cloud and Zack in the tanks, and quickly reaches for her weapon. The man pulls a baton from his lab coat and strikes the gunblade causing it to fire behind her. We all duck on instinct although it would have never hurt us as the man presses a button on his weapon, electrifying it as he points it at Lightning's chest.

 _"My name is professor Hojo, my dear.. And me and you are going to test a theory.."_ The mad scientist laughed.

"This... This is how it all started." Cloud explains, to himself more than anyone else.

"What did he do to my sister?" I ask, almost afraid of the answer.

"The same thing they did to me." The blonde answers, pointing to the tank.

"Does it hurt?" Noel wonders.

"Like nothing you've ever felt before.. Most loose their minds being exposed to so much." Cloud tells him, sitting down on the cold floor and burying his head in his knees. "All of these years, I've been living a lie.. A life that didn't belong to me. Everybody followed me because I told them I was Soldier first class and that I could protect them. Their deaths are my doing.."

"You and me must have been watching a different thing." Noel laughs, causing us both to look at him in confusion. "You were just a kid, had no power or magic or whatever else that liquid does to you, yet you beat the strongest man in the world. You lived to tell the tale and you're now stronger than ever. Seems to be we'd all be lost without you. Me, Serah, and Lightning.."

"I am Cloud Strife.." Cloud begins as he stands up. "My whole life has been a lie.. but the only truth that matters now is this. I will find Claire, and I will save her. Serah, Noel, let's get out of here."

"How?" I wonder.

"Ever since I met Claire, she's shown me the way. Maybe she still is." He tells me, taking out her survival knife and squeezing it tightly.

The illusion world fades to black leaving behind a golden rift in time, just like the one Fang opened for me. The three of us don't second guess where it would take us and run through it, hoping it would put us back in the land of the living.

 **Vincent's POV**

With two of the huge materia in our custody, it would delay Shinra's rash plans briefly. But I know better than most that their relentlessness is their only valuable trait. Cid knew that we needed to secure the other huge materia, but without the proper intelligence, a raid would be futile. So for now, we follow up a suggestion offered up by Yuffie. It came as no surprise that she argued that we needed to augment our strength with powerful materia, and that her father told her of natural materia caves which spawned such stones. Cid dismissed her claim initially, but when Nanaki confirmed that they do in fact exist, we scoured the globe.

It takes surprisingly little effort to find three materia caves; all of which are harvested for their contents. I watch the young Wutaian stand tall on the bridge of the Highwind, hunting for more caves like an eagle stalks it's prey. The whole ship falls silent when we pass our lost leader's home Nibelhiem, but we pass it by quickly, heading south east. We fly through the mist filled mountains and over a lake which formed inside a ring of them. A waterfall flows between it's two highest points, slowly filling the ever growing reservoir.

" _I'm sorry."_

"Cid, stop the Highwind." I order.

"What the hell for?" He questions.

"There.. That mountain lake. Take me to it."

"The mountains are too steep, we'll struggle to get my baby down over solid ground." Cid informs me.

"I have every faith in the mastery of the pilot." I reply, finding a compliment to be the pilot's weakness.

"What do you see Vincent?" Nanaki asks, scanning the lake.

"I see nothing. It's just a.. feeling." I tell him.

"A feelin'!? You know how much runnin' this heap of shit costs? It's burnin' through fuel like Highwind burns through tobacco!" Barret shouts.

"Hey! I'm down to forty a day! Everyone knows going cold turkey'll kill ya."

"My apologies.." I mutter, turning to walk to the rear deck of the ship.

I descend the rope down to water's edge and bask in the hidden wilderness that was the lake. The mountain range surrounds it like a crater, sealing it off from the rest of the world. Perhaps it was the loner in me that enjoyed the solace that came with these forgotten treasures. I could see myself spending the eternity I had been cursed with in such a place. The next voice I hear was not the one that drew me to this place, it was the one belonging to Yuffie.

"Hey! Wait for me!" She shouts from above as she climbs down the rope, only to fall halfway down. "Nice catch!" She smiles, without a care in the world as I stop her falling to her death.

"I do not need a baby sitter." I tell her.

"I know. I just thought it would be safer traveling in pairs. Besides.. That ship makes me sick." Yuffie admits.

"Very well.." I sigh.

I do not mean to sound ungrateful, especially when her heart is in the right place. But I feel that what lies in this place is not for others to see. I gaze into the water as I walk around its perimeter, quickly learning two things. The water was crystal clear, yet so deep that the light does not make it to the floor.

"Agh! It's salty!" Yuffie spits behind me.

"There must be under water caves systems that goo out to sea." I explain. "If you want a drink, the waterfall would be your only option. Or, you could just return to the ship.."

"Then who'd protect you from all the monsters?" She asks. I don't need to turn to know that she's grinning.

I don't feel the need to answer, so I just press on to the waterfall, which seems to have an unexplainable pull on me. The agile Wutaian manages to keep the place with little problem, and soon the foam of the wall of water splashes up at my golden sabatons. Glimpses of a cave add to my curiosity, and I'd hoped to enter alone, but I have come to the understanding that there is no sense in trying to stop the rebellious child from following. Placing a finger over my lips, I glare into the girl's eyes to make her understand that I was serious, and Yuffie responds as expected, by pretending to padlock her mouth shut and tossing away the key. Another sigh escapes me, but I step through the raging waters anyway.

" _I'm so sorry."_

 **A/N: Chapter 50 done! Glad everyone's still enjoying it. Reaper I promise you i'll do a bad chapter soon haha. I'm bound to fuck up eventually lol. As you may have noticed, I've veered off from the ff7 story a little, as you can't go where Vincent is now without Cloud and a sub, but there's not much else I can do with the ff7 side of things until Cloud get's his ass back there. I do love writing Caius, he's such a smug bastard lol. Not gonna mention who saves who or anything about the end, you're all just gonna have to wait and see.**

 **For those of you interested, I've still not found a bloody bike, but I have narrowed it down to one model. A Suzuki GSXR 1000. Just need to find a decent one that isn't on the other end of the country. -_-**

 **Thanks for reading. Let me know what you think.**

 **Wolf**


	51. A Brief Reunion

_They say the wolf is in love with the moon. That it is not howling, but crying for a love it will never touch. Yet every night, it still calls out into the darkness, praying for her to come to him._

 **Serah's POV**

"Is this... is this my village?" I gasp as I look down on a dried up wasteland that was once a place I called paradise. It was a far cry from how I saw it last, but there was just enough remaining for me to be sure. The fertile grass had long since died, and the gentle sound of the sea lapping the shore that I had come to love, left with the water. The sea floor, which once housed millions of fish had dried up and become a trench system, and the coral had died in the baking heat.

"It looks a lot like my era." Noel tells me.

"I wonder if anyone is here." I murmur, still taking it all in.

"Let's look." Cloud says affirmatively, but I can't help but notice his optimism was forced.

"Kupo!"

"Mog! You're back!" I shout, hugging him tightly as soon as he floats over to me. "But, how?!"

"This way, Kupo." Mog says softly, leading the three of us down to the harsh sand.

We follow the Moogle down towards the dilapidated NORA house, where another golden rift waits for us at the foot of the small, wooden pier, which no longer serves a purpose. I expect it is supposed to take us to another place in time, but something begins to form in the aura, and the first thing I see is a leg, covered in armour, followed closely by the rest of the person. My sister.

"Lightning? What are you doing here?" Noel gasps, taking a quick step before Cloud's sword and my arm blocks his path.

"This is a future I could not save." My sister states. It was the first time in what seemed like forever that I heard her voice, but the fact it was full of sorrow pained me.

"Is that really you, Lightning?" I ask, desperate for her to not be another deception,

"Do you doubt me?" She asks, only looking hurt briefly. "No, it's good to doubt. You're growing up." My sister adds, smiling at me.

"I knew it. It is you, isn't it?" I say excitedly. "I've been looking everywhere for you! Where have you been? What was that dream you made me see? Why did you make me come out here?"

I looked at her, longing for answers that would make sense, but her eyes deviate from me. In my excitement, I had totally forgot about Cloud, who had been taking it all in, in silence. I turn to him to find his glowing eyes sparkling with potential tears that he fought fiercely to restrain. He looked like he was terrified of taking a step towards her, in case he scared her away like a bird. Instead, it's my sister who comes to the blonde. She throws her arms over his shoulders and buries her head in his shoulders.

"It's over.. I got your sister to you. Please come back with me.." Cloud begs near silently.

"I'm sorry. I never meant for any of this." She whispers, barely loud enough for me to hear. "But it's not over yet. I need to keep Caius at bay."

For a second, I thought I could almost hear the blonde's usual iron will shatter into tiny shards. From day one, Cloud made it perfectly clear that he was in this for my sister, so to be told he must go again after all of this time traveling, I could understand his frustrations.

"I won't let you.." Cloud says defiantly, wrapping his arms tighter around her armoured body.

"If we don't stop him, all life will cease to exist. Time will collapse on itself." Light tells him. "This man, Caius Ballad. He seeks to destroy all hope, and bring an end to the future." She adds, finally pulling away and addressing us all.

"What do we have to do?" I ask, ready to do anything I can to bring this to an end.

"We have to face Caius on two fronts. In Valhalla, and in the world of humans. If we don't, we won't be able to change the future. I can't do it on your own. I need your help."

Lightning then told us what would happen to Cocoon. She explains that in five hundred AF, the old Cocoon would collapse and fall into Pulse, the crystal pillar no longer strong enough to support it. By that time, Hope and the Academy would have completed the new Cocoon, but when they attempt to launch it, Caius would intervene. He would smash it into the old Cocoon and bring them both down. My sister continues, and I hang on her every word, knowing just how important this was, but the sound of Cloud's erratic breathing by my side pulled my gaze to him. He stood, visibly shaking with his jaw clenched tightly. I couldn't tell if he was about to explode with rage or burst into tears.

"I need to talk to my sister alone." Lightning says, taking me by the shoulder and leading me towards the ruins of the NORA house.

When we get to the steps of the ruins of the building we once called home, we sat on the steps and watched as the blonde walked onto the tiny pier and sat down at it's edge, looking out into the barren wasteland that once housed a great ocean.

"He's terrified that this is goodbye.." I tell my sister. "Tell me he's worrying over nothing."

"How's he doing?" Light asks, making my heart sink when she doesn't answer my question.

"I think he's about to break." I answer truthfully. "He started off cold and distant, but he's been like a brother to me.. It's always the tough ones that are fragile on the inside." I sigh.

"Hmm?"

"He learned the truth about his past.. It's made him question everything he knows. He's scared that if he can't stop Caius, then he'll loose you. I've seen that man kill a dragon people said was unkillable.. But I've also heard his nightmares; and in them he's afraid. Afraid of loosing you."

"I'll go talk to him." She smiles, giving me a nod.

 **Lightning's POV**

I walk through the dusty sand, resting a hand on the hunter's shoulder as I pass. He gives me a nod and the boyish smile he always wears before walking over to Serah. The rotting wood of the pier creaks under my armoured feet, but Cloud doesn't turn. I open my mouth to say something, but I don't want anything I say to turn out to be a lie. Instead, I take a seat next to him and grip his hand tightly with my own.

"When I was a boy, I used to always dream about my life. The great things I promised myself I was destined for.." Cloud begins to speak in an almost dazed tone. "I had it all planned out.. I was going to become the greatest Soldier that ever lived. To become a hero and get the girl.. But that's not me, is it?"

"When I first got pulled into this place, I used to sit with my feet dangling off the edge of the balcony in the temple. If I closed my eyes, I could almost hear the music as we went around on that gondola. I've never been happier in all of my life." I tell him. "You pulled a stranger from the hands of the enemy and carried her across the country in your arms. You may not have become the image of the hero you dreamed of, but you are my hero. You came for me. That's all that matters."

"When this is over, are you going to stay here?" He asks, finally turning to look into my eyes.

"My home is with you." I answer, not wanting to commit to a promise I fear I cannot keep.

His hand roots around in his pocket briefly, eventually pulling out a small velvet bag. I watch with curiosity as he tips the contents into his palm, which make a tiny metallic jingle. Cloud holds it up in front of him, and I quickly work out what it is. He opens the clasp of the necklace and I instinctively lean forward. I gaze longingly into his eyes, which never leave my own until the fine silver chain was secured tightly around my neck. His fingers brush my cheeks as he retracts them, sending a welcome shiver down my spine. It felt like a lifetime ago when I felt his touch.

I look down on the pendant which was shaped like a lightning bolt with a yellow and a blue stone set next to it. Inside the bolt itself rested a pale pink diamond that reminded me of Odin. My mouth opened to thank him, but I'm forced to stop myself briefly to compose myself. The thought that I may never see him again weighed heavy on my heart.

"It's beautiful." I smile, after quickly catching my breath.

"Take it with the promise that I'll see you again." He says softly, giving my hand a quick squeeze.

I yearned to drag him into my dilapidated former home and never let him go, but my time away from Valhalla must be short. Etro was well hidden in her temple, sleeping where even I know not. But Caius is a clever man, and without me to keep him busy, he would surely find her. Cloud seems to know it, because he's soon stood up, offering a hand down to me. His strong arms pull me up; armour and all, and the two of us head back to Serah and Noel. The former of which grins at the sight of the pendant around my neck.

"So that's what was in the bag!" She shouts like a kid, handing over a twenty gil note to Noel.

"Am I missing something?" Cloud frowns at the pair of them.

"Nothing at all." The hunter winks, placing the money in his pocket.

"I must go now." I tell them, wincing as I see the pain in their faces.

"What will happen to the world if Caius carries out his plan?" Cloud asks in an attempt to distract himself from me leaving.

"Caius is trying to create a world where time does not exist. If he can erase time-" I begin to explain.

"Yeul will be saved." Noel finishes. "And not just Yeul. All the Seeresses down through the ages. They'd be released from their curse. He wants to sacrifice Cocoon to rebuild the world in Valhalla's image, all for the sake of Yeul."

"Right." I nod. "Now go. Your good luck charm will lead the way."

With that, Mog zooms past us all and uses his magic to cast a walkway of light that expanded out over the wasteland to a golden time gate. I start to walk past them all, ready to return to Valhalla, but I feel Cloud's firm grip spin me around and pull me close. Before I know it, his lips press into mine, and in an instant they melded together. It was perfect and heart wrenching at the same time, for now I would go to Valhalla knowing I may never taste them again. We separate briefly, and just like he's always been able to, he reads my heartbroken expression.

"I love you." I whisper in his ear as I pull myself away and start to run, desperate for my tears to go unnoticed.

I feel his hand reach out to me, but he only manages to brush my arm before I leap into the time rift that would take me back to Valhalla. The aura closes behind me in an instant, and I'm left to cry in the cold solitude of the Historia Crux.

 **Cloud's POV**

When I see her eyes glistening with the truth she tried so desperately to hide, my heart sank. As I prayed to any god that would listen, the words I had longed to hear would be the ones that all but confirmed my dread. That 'I love you' was her goodbye. A single tear runs down her cheek and she bolts out of my arms like her nickname. My hands instinctively try to grasp at her, but all they return with is the ribbon I tied to her arm in the temple of the ancients. I take off after her, telling myself that I'd tackle her to the ground if that's what it takes, but like the reason for every other mistake in my life, I was too slow to act. The rift closes the second she steps foot inside, and I make one final, desperate leap, only to end up with a face full of dirty sand.

"..I love you too.." I whisper, making no attempt to get up from the sand. "Aggh!" I howl.

"Cloud!" I hear Serah shout as the sound of her boots in the sand gets closer.

My eyes look up to where the rift was just moments ago, and I find my hand clenched tightly around the ribbon that I once tied to Claire's arm. I pull it closer towards me and sink my face back into the sand, letting out a sigh as I do. Part of me just wanted to lay there until death took me, but Serah had other ideas. Her knees drop at my side, and a warming hand finds its way onto my back. I feel ashamed that I'm not asking Serah how she feels. It must be just as devastating to watch her sister leave, but my heart is crippled with pain.

"The finish line is in sight." She says in a cheery voice. "I wouldn't keep my sister waiting."

"Yeah, Lightning doesn't look like the kinda girl who appreciates tardiness." Noel jokes.

"That gate.." I begin, finally giving in to their optimism. "It will take us to the end? Where Caius is waiting?"

"Seems like it." Noel agrees. "But how are we going to beat him? He's beaten us all, one by one."

"Because this time I have to.." I tell them, rising to my feet and dusting off the sand. "Let's finish this."

I try to fight my body, which is trembling with nervousness. Not because this could be my last day on earth, or that if we fail we would have condemned two planets worth of people. If I failed now, I would have lost her forever. A phantom pain from Caius' blade still lingers in my chest. It didn't leave a scar like Sephiroth's but the psychological damage was just as devastating. Pushing it to the back of my mind, I take a deep breath and walk down the path of light, fighting the urge to look back at the others in case they saw the worry in my eyes.

Stopping just short of the gate, I look down at the ribbon that I still cling to and trap it between my body and my left arm. I take one end and bite down on it, and attempt to tie it with my spare hand, but a gentle touch stops me. Looking up, I find Serah looking at me with an understanding smile. She takes both ends and ties it neatly above my bicep in a bow. With no words left to say, I reach my hand out and slam it onto the metallic frame of the time gate.

 **Caius POV**

"Your master sends you to your death." I growl as the warrior Goddess' Eidolon locks swords with me.

The humanoid servant was a much more formidable foe than the others. It was a tactician, just like it's master, but even so, it would not last. This was a desperate move to buy herself time to converse with the others, but it was a futile attempt. The eye of my sword erupts with chaotic rage and blasts her Odin through the nearest buildings. It gets up defiantly, and I'm impressed by its fortitude, but soon it's fight will be over. Odin launches itself towards me, spinning it's serrated 'S' shaped blade, but I stand firm. I bring my blade up, just in time to catch it's own, and the force pushes my boots into the stone.

Calling upon the chaos, I disappear, feeling my opponents serrated blade slip though the empty air where I once stood. I appear above, reveling in it's confusion as I fall. Throwing my blade like a spear, it bursts through Odin's body and buries itself into the ground before he even discovers my location. My feet touch down behind the downed Eidolon and I place my boot on it's back as I pull my sword free.

"Go now to your rest, faithful servant." I whisper as Odin's body falls and turns to light.

With Lightning gone to warn her beloved, I walk through the city of death, picturing its form merging with Pulse. Soon, Yeul would share my eternity and death would no longer be able to take her from me. The temple that houses the foolish Goddess stands before me, towering over the rest of the city like a beacon of false hope. Somewhere inside, Etro is sleeping. Soon enough, her sleep shall be never ending..

I step inside the monstrous temple, keeping a vigilant eye out for the pink haired warrior. At first I underestimated her, but I had learned that she had an incredible knack for adapting to the situation. Still, other than a handful of half dead feral monsters that still clung to life, the road through the temple was uninterrupted. My gaze stops at the crystal throne that Etro once sat upon when she was strong enough to hold the chaos back. For a moment, I'm lost in the thoughts of the future, but the flash of lightning erupting across the clouded sky pulls me back to the moment.

"She has returned." I smile, taking a seat on the throne and waiting for Lightning to find me.

It doesn't take long for her to locate me, and I hear the sound of her armour rattling before I see her pink locks rush up the stairs. She glares at me with her usual look of defiance, but her eyes where bloodshot with tears.

"I did not expect tears from you, warrior Goddess." I tell her. "Do you weep for the death of your sister or Cloud Strife?"

"The only one dying is you!" She spits, firing at me with her gunblade.

I leap off the crystal throne as her bullets shatter against it. She continues to fire as I slide across the floor on my knees towards my sword, which is embedded in the stone floor, waiting for me to let it taste her blood. She seems stronger than the last time we fought, but each swing of her weapon was filled with hatred. A wild flurry of thrusts come my way, forcing me to retreat back, and I smile knowing my last battles will be memorable.

"Has uncertainty given you this strength?" I ask her as I redirect her bullets away from me with my blade.

"There's nothing uncertain about it. I will stop you, Caius." She growls, but neither of us believe the words.

"It's pointless. The time measured by Etro will cease to exist." I tell her as I go on the offensive. "All potential and possibilities will collapse. Time will end, and the future will fade."

"You'll have to kill me first!" She roars, leaping clear of my slash with grace.

"As you wish.."

She parries my next slash and snarls at me like a savage wolf, leaving me curious as to how her conversation went with her friends. Her sword is thrust at my face, but I roll around it's razor sharp edge and strike her with the back of my fist. I watch as the force of my strike throws her body towards the balcony like a rag doll, but she quickly rolls out of the tumble and is back on her feet. Burying my sword into the ground, I blast her with my eye of Bahamut attack, knocking her through the stone railings. With centuries of planning, I don't mind a few extra minutes to savor the fight, so I slowly pace towards the broken ledge, peering down to find Lightning's silver armour glisten as she weaves between the buildings below.

"Very well.. I shall play your game of cat and mouse."

 **A/N: Well ladies and gentlemen, it's almost time to say goodbye to the ff13-2 arc of this probably never ending story. There's maybe 2 chapters left before we return to Gaia (and make Hojo suffer), and our favorite pinkette will take a lot more of the limelight. Also apologies for the delay, I was reminded of a cloudxlight fic that I hadn't read in a lifetime. Its beautifully written. It's called Guardians of the legacy: The Vessel. If you're tired of waiting for my updates, give it a read.**

 **Lumina, the 'I'm sorry' line was Lucrecia, I should have made that more clear. I can't remember if she actually says it in the original game, but it's echoed throughout dirge of cerberus. Vincent heard her voice and wanted to investigate. I believe that's what you were asking, google translate let me down a little this time haha.**

 **Never got on with choppers. They're more suited to those big straight american roads. For me it's about the speed. Going to look at one tomorrow so if it's any good I shall have a bike :)**

 **Leave a review and let me know what you think, and as always, thanks for reading.**


	52. Fighting Destiny

**Lightning's POV**

Fragments of shattered stone rains down on me like shrapnel as I weave through the barren streets of Valhalla. Each of Caius' blasts misses my agile body, but the tiny pieces of razor sharp stone bouncing off my breastplate are a constant reminder that one wrong move will be my last. I race to the beach, hoping that the open space would be my ally and to lead him away from Etro. I would do everything I can to keep the man at bay, but ultimately, the fate of the world rests on the two people I love more than anything in the world, and Noel Kreiss; a young but skilled hunter. Lost in my thoughts, the second my feet reach the sand, I'm thrown to the floor.

"The weight of that armour slows you down. -or perhaps it's the weight of your guilt." Caius says smugly.

"Quiet." I growl, quickly regaining a fighting stance.

Refusing to wait for Yeul's guardian to make the first move, I open fire on him as I race towards him. I don't expect any of my bullets to hit Caius, but it keeps him busy until I'm within sword range. Caius slashes high, aiming for my neck, but I'd already began to drop, spinning on my heel to cut through his knees. With inhuman speed, he leaps over my blade as I duck under his, and for a moment, we're stood inches apart. I attempt another slash, but Caius is so close that he grips my sword hand and pushes it away. His and lunges for my neck so I quickly bring my foot up and kick off his chest, flipping backwards and creating a safe distance.

"Such a pretty thing.." Caius mutters, holding something up that dangles from his fingers.

"Give that back!" I roar, quickly realizing it was the pendant Cloud had given me.

"When he gave it to you, did he know it was the last time you would be together?"

"You know nothing!"

"Really? Go ahead. Delve into the future of your beloved.. I can wait." He mocks, sticking his word into the sand.

Every natural instinct was roaring at me for even considering letting my guard down, but I had to know. Closing my eyes, I see the span of time and I'm looking upon a ribbon that lay on the dark shores of Valhalla. Straight away my arm shoots over to my other, finding the ribbon gone, as I continue to watch. The icy water gently washes over it, before retracting back into its mass, leaving behind trails of blood that oozed from the ribbon into the sand.

My hand starts to tremble with this seemingly certain future, but until my dying breath, I refuse to accept it. Caius stands arrogantly, knowing exactly what I had seen, and in my moment of weakness, he strikes. A wave of chaos tears through the sand as it hurtles towards me, but I do not attempt to dodge. Instead, I use my bracer to deflect it away and strike the purple haired man with bolt after bolt of lightning. He staggers back, unable to regain a footing as I coil my arm back, ready to push the tip of my sword through his skull. I ram my blade forward, but in an instant he's gone and my blade finds only wisps of chaos. I slash behind me, expecting him to be there, but again all my blade tastes is the air. Then finally, when I was convinced he had fled to safety, I feel his blade slice my back, shoulder to hip. Stumbling to the ground, I use my last ounces of energy to crawl away, out of Caius' reach, but soon I'm enveloped in chaos and begin sinking into the ground. I turn around to my would be killer, determined to scowl at him until my eyes glazed over, but he looked almost as shocked as I as I'm slowly consumed by the darkness.

" _You've done your part, leave the rest to the others."_

"Aeris!?" I gasp, just before my consciousness fails.

 **Serah's POV**

"You gotta be kidding me.." I hear Cloud sigh when we are taken to Academia again.

"Well, at least it's.. different.." Noel scoffs, noting the vast pillars that floated between us and the central building. "Hey, it's Chocolina." He adds, pointing to the cheerful woman who stood down a few steps at the opposite end of the platform we here stood on.

"Serah, you still have that money I gave you?" He asks, holding out his left hand as he takes what he's got left with his right.

I give him a nod and hand over the substantial pile of gil, before he walks over to Chocolina, who's eyes light up at the sight of the money. We watch as the blonde hands over all of the cash, and for a second I thought that the barely clothed woman was going to mount him in excitement. Cloud took a step back, probably fearing the same thing, leaving me and Noel to chuckle to ourselves. The great warrior, Cloud Strife, scarred of an unarmed woman.

"I have no need for money where I'm going. If you've anything of use, give it to Serah and Noel." He tells her. "Lightning sent you to help us, and you have. I'm releasing you from your oath."

"That's quite alright, sweetie! We've had a blast! Hmm.. Let me see.. Maybe I've got some armour in here for them.." She wonders as she roots around in her chest. "How bout this?" Chocolina asks, holding up a skimpy, pale pink bikini.

"Perhaps something a little less.. Revealing." Cloud blushes. "That won't stop sun burn, never mind a sword.."

"That Caius is a man. Maybe he'll be distracted by it while you strike." Chocolina suggests, not letting go of the idea just yet.

"If I wanted to parade a half naked woman in front of Caius, I'd drag you with me." He tells her, annoyance creeping into his tone.

"So you think I'm distracting? In what way, Mr Strife?!" She replies with a wide smile.

"Hurry up." He growls at the two of us as he sets off, not wanting to spend another second with the woman.

Me and Noel desperately hold our laughs until Cloud was out of earshot. It must have taken us a minute to stop laughing, but in the mean time, Chocolina pulled out a jet black suit; which looked like something from a science fiction movie. She lay it out at my feet and returned to her chest to pull out a charcoal gray, fabric outfit, with wolf fur on one shoulder and a metal pauldron on the other.

"I've seen paintings of this!" Noel gasps as he takes the clothing from Chocolina.

"It belonged to the original guardian, before Caius was even born. A deadly and silent assassin." Chocolina explains. "Yours, Serah, was erm.. how shall I put it.. acquired.. from the Academia weapons research lab. It should make you stronger and faster. It should slide straight over your own clothes, Serah. Noel, you'll have to strip." She grins.

"Thank you, Chocolina." We both nod, and I can't help but hug her goodbye after getting changed.

I turn to Noel, who silently tells me that he's ready, and the two of us and Mog set off after Cloud. We find him stood with the tips of his boots trailing over the edge of the next platform, gazing off into the distance. The wind ripples through his golden spikes as he waits for us, but I can't help but feel like he's processing the defeat before he's even begun. We stand at either side of the blonde, but he does not set off. Instead, he watches the blocks that shift through the vast space between here and the Academy headquarters, as he taps his finger on his leg over and over.

"Nervous?" I wonder, pointing to his hand.

"Counting." He answers bluntly. "Get ready."

Without warning, Cloud steps off the platform and onto the long block in front of him, breaking into a sprint as soon as both boots made contact with the chunk of Valhalla. We do the same, unsure why we needed to sprint across, until we got to the last few feet and I feel the block start to rotate. I feel Noel give me a quick shove before jumping himself, and Cloud's and finds mine, pulling me to safety.

"We need to cross these things quickly." The blonde tells us, but after looking down over the edge of the platform, it went without saying.

"You think this is the right way?" Noel asks.

"I think we're at the end of time." Cloud answers. "These blocks look like parts of Valhalla. It could be starting to merge with this world. I don't see a new ark in the sky, so we better get to the Academy tower quickly."

"Yeah, let's go find Hope." I say enthusiastically.

With nothing left to say, the three of us make it across the city, swiftly traversing the pillars and blocks on Cloud's command. I can almost see Hope's smile as we make it to the floor outside the Academy headquarters. Me and Noel try to keep up with the blonde as he rushes to the entrance, but when he turns to us, his eyes widen with horror. He stops in his tracks and runs towards me, but it's Noel who forces me to the ground as a violent wind rips over us.

"It's him!" Noel shouts.

"Caius.." Cloud growls, looking up at the dark dragon that hovers over the tower. "You two, get inside!"

"What about you!?" I shout back with my tone full of worry.

"I'll be right behind you! GO!"

I hesitate for a moment, not wanting to leave Cloud to fight alone, but Noel grips my arm and pulls me towards the entrance. We barely make it more than a couple of steps when I giant Behemoth falls from the top of the tower, blocking our path. The blue and gold creature rears as it lets out a blood curdling roar, but as it dies down, I hear the sound of Hope's voice shouting at me to get down. Me and Noel dive to the ground as something strikes the monster, blowing it to pieces. My ears were ringing when I finally pulled my face from the ground to find a small fleet of ships launching an assault on an ever growing hoard of monsters.

"Hope is here!" I tell the hunter, when I spot him stood atop the nearest ship, which lands on the headquarters platform.

"Good, you're okay." Hope smiles.

"'Course we are. Just took a little detour." Noel jokes.

"Get on board, He's the best pilot we have." instructs us as he jumps off to secure the building.

I turn to Cloud to make sure he was following to find him firing bolt after bolt of lightning at Caius, who circled in the sky like a vulture. Taking aim with my bow, I start shooting at the dragon Caius had taken as his form, giving the blonde enough time to climb aboard.

"We're on!" I shout down to the pilot.

"Hang on up there, you kids!" An instantly recognizable voice says cheerily. "You're on the Sazh express to the sky!"

"Sazh? Is that you?" I shout down to the pilot.

"Hey, Serah! Dajh says he misses your classes!" Sazh shouts over the intercom as we're lifted over the city.

"Friend of yours?" Noel asks.

"Catch up later! We've got to stop Caius!" Cloud roars, taking a stand atop the flat hull of the airship.

"This is it. The fight for the future." I nod to the hunter, who stands by my side.

"..The fight for Claire.." I hear Cloud say softly as the wind rips through his blonde locks. "Sazh! Head for the new Cocoon! Caius wants to destroy it!"

It was the first time I saw the new ark Hope had built. It rested gently on the planet's surface, tethered down as if it were to roll away at any moment. I know I fought to see my sister again, but seeing the potential home for an entire civilization pushed my selfish reasons to one side. Hope's creation would give a home to everyone alive; perhaps even me and Lightning. But if Caius wasn't stopped, it would be nothing more than a mass grave.

"Here he comes!" Cloud roars, drawing his sword as Caius, in his jet Bahamut form comes barreling towards us.

I start to fire my bow, and Noel uses his magic on Yeul's immortal guardian, but we seem to be nothing more than an annoyance to him. My eyes catch a glimpse of ruby red in the blonde's hand, which soon starts to radiate brightly. Although he never taught me about materia, I'd observed what the different coloured ones did, and I knew red to be a summon. I look up at the night sky to find the charcoal clouds parting, as if repelled by some magically force. A frightening shriek fills the city before my eyes find a black figure falling from the cloudless patch of sky.

Me and Noel watch it continue to fall, unsure of what it was until wings burst from it's shadow and all of it's momentum is used to propel it towards Caius like a missile. Caius flew closer and closer to the ship, and we all braced for impact, only to watch him get struck from above my Cloud's dragon. The pair of dragons disappeared from view briefly, and the three of us run to the edge just in time to see them both smash into the base of a sky scraper in the distance. My heart sinks when I see Caius burst out of the wreckage, hurt but still mobile.

"Evasive maneuvers!" Cloud roars to Sazh, but there was no way of avoiding the dragon's claws.

Caius swoops in quickly, and the blonde tries to parry his claws away, but they still find their way into the ship's hull, ripping it open like a tin can. The airship starts to fall, but somehow Sazh manages to regain control as we cling to the railings. Patches of flames ripple across the deck, and I know we couldn't take another hit.

"He's coming back!" I shout, pointing at the sky.

I glance nervously at the others, who understand that this could be the end. Cloud takes a few steps back and starts to tap his boot on the deck as Caius approaches. When he was just about to strike, the blonde runs forward and leaps high, catching his talons with the buster sword. Cloud managed to save the ship, but was knocked down in the process, leaving me and Noel to deal with the guardian. Chaos envelopes the dragon, turning him back into Caius, who lands atop the ship.

"You still don't know the truth, Serah." Caius tells me. "You are the same as Yeul. You can see the timeline. Even if you save your future, you will not be around to see it."

"I know the truth, Caius. I know that every time I change things, I loose part of my life. But don't you see? I don't care." I tell him. "I'm here to protect the future. And I will."

"How very noble of you." He tells me. "But you shall die first!"

Before I had chance to speak, Caius launches towards me with his blade above. I just manage to get my own sword up, but the force of his swing knocks me to the ground.

 **Caius POV**

"Caius!" Noel roars at me as I tower over the pinkette.

I was impressed by his speed when I find his swords pushing back on my own before I could strike down the younger Farron.

"You fight bravely to protect your friends. Like a true guardian." I praise as we continue in a fight for dominance.

"What about you, Caius!? You swore the same oath to protect Yeul!"

His anger breaks his concentration, and I need but a second to capitalize on his mistake. I rip my sword up, breaking his guard and knocking him back. The young hunter buries his secondary blade into the hull of the ship and uses it to transfer his falling momentum into a powerful kick, which skims the tip of my nose. My eyes fall upon the blonde man, who is slowly coming around on the opposite end of the airship. For now at least, it was just me and my one time apprentice..

"Everything I do is for Yeul. Her spirit is bound by a curse. I will save her." I explain, bringing the eye of Bahamut that was imbedded into my blade to my chest.

"What curse!?" He demands.

"How many Yeul's have you met on this journey?" I ask him. "The jewel of the Farseers is reincarnated without end, in every age. Think what that means! Her only purpose is to die over and over! Even though she can see the future, she's not allowed to escape her fate!" I roar, feeling the anger that had built up over a millennia course through my body. "She was born knowing that she would die before she has truly lived. Countless deaths, without a life to give them meaning! I will break the cycle of despair. No matter how great the sacrifice! I shall destroy time and fate itself. Then you'll spirit shall be free!"

I let out a smile when I see Serah stand defiantly, holding out her bow sword in front of her. Noel adjusts his grip on his two swords, but is pushed aside by Cloud strife, who had regained his consciousness and strength quickly. He says nothing as he stomps over to me with a trembling sword hand. The rage in his heart pours out of those monstrous glowing eyes, and I consider showing him the pendant in my pocket. Releasing a grin was all I took to force the blonde guardian into a blind rage, missing my completely with his first swing.

His sword sticks into the ship's hull, and I use his vulnerable stance to strike him across the face with the back of my clenched fist. Cloud looks up at me with a demonic glare, as blood trickles down from his lip. Ripping his sword free, he slashes at me with such speed that I have to use all of my concentration to keep it's razor sharp edge from my body. He kicks me back and hist me with a blast of fire, but I use the chaos to remove me from harm. Before I appear again, I open up the gate to Valhalla, which circles in the sky like a black hole.

"Look at the sky! It's tearing apart!" The hunter gasps when I reappear behind them.

Cloud locates me quickly, but not quick enough to stop me from destroying one of the mana drives that power the aircraft. I feel sorry for the pilot, who was surely trying to divert power as the rear began to point to the ground like a sinking ship. But nothing would stop me from saving her..

"Caius!" I hear Cloud roar as the ship starts to plummet.

Serah and Noel cling to the railings, but the blonde warrior slams his sword into the hull and used it as a platform to stand on. Flames lick his skin, but his piercing gaze is fixated on me. I get ready to jump from the ship and make my way to Valhalla, but Cloud has other ideas. He jumps from his wide blade, pulling it free as he falls towards me. It was a bold and desperate move, but it would be his last.. As I slide from the ship, I kick off it, causing the blonde to do the same. It was almost like it didn't concern him that even if he were to strike me down, an unsurvivable, thousand foot drop awaited him.

"Wings of night!" I shout into the darkness, taking my eidolon's body as my own.

Cloud's eyes widen as my wings spread wide, stopping my fall. He still tries to slash, but I grip him with my clawed hand and think about turning his bones to dust with the crushing force Bahamut was capable of, but instead, I throw him down into the dark depths of the city, watching until he is beyond my sight.

"NO!" I hear Serah scream from the damaged ship which slowly regains control.

With Etro still enjoying her internal slumber, I fly through the portal, ready to wake her...

 **A/N: Sorry for the delay, I'm sure you don't particularly care, but I've finally bought myself a bike so I've got more time to write now! Thinking of painting it gloss black with gold bits similar to 'Fenrir' Suzuki actually have a limited edition model which is actually just like that. It's very quick though, just not sure how quick as the digital speedo stops reading past 186mph haha.**

 **Anyway, enough of my new play thing.. I think we've got maybe 1 or 2 chapters to go and then we're back to Gaia!**

 **I have read and enjoyed heart of the warrior and Fenrir. I decided to read fenrir again after reading your reviews to find it had a sequel, which I've just started. It's very different but I really enjoy it. He/She does a sex scene really well. I just couldn't bring myself to write such crude words.. Which is strange considering the word Cunt and Twat escape my lips on a nearly hourly basis (I am the world's angriest person) lol**

 **Leave a review and let me know what you think**

 **Wolf**


	53. The Battle Of Valhalla

_Love is like a bolt of lightning. It shines through even the darkest of nights and glitters through the rain. But when that light is gone, all that's left is a scarred heart that roars into the darkness like thunder, yearning to be touched once more by it's beauty._ -Wolf ;p

 **Lightning's POV**

I'm pulled into the darkness, and I feel like I was floating. It was peaceful and silent, and I wonder if this was what death was truly like. I close my eyes, enjoying the feeling for a moment, when the thought of my sister and Cloud snap me back. I let out a gasp when my eyes open to find I was stood in the middle of a never ending field of yellow and white flowers. Turning on my heels, I try to figure out what's going on, but a chill runs down my spine when I hear Aeris' voice right behind me. Freezing on the spot, I feel her back press gently against mine.

"Am I dead?" I ask bluntly, unsure what to say to the friend who died by my hand.

"Nope." She answers playfully.

"Then why am I here?" I wonder. "Caius can't be allowed to kill the Goddess."

"Your sister and Noel are fighting him, it's your time to rest."

"No, I should be out there hel- wait... where's Cloud?" I demand, when I finally dawns on me that she never mentioned him.

My heart fills with dread as I remember the image of the blood soaked ribbon. It would destroy me to find out he had died after coming so far; on a journey he never wanted to travel. If he really was gone, it would have been my fault..

"Cloud is on Pulse, injured but okay." The brunette answers. "He'll be with them soon."

"I still don't understand why I'm here."

"He can't protect you both. That's why you need to stay here. Stay hidden."

"Us both? You mean Serah? But I'd tell him to save her!" I answer, not even having to think about it.

"He cares for her like a little sister, but you and I both know he would save the one he loves. Do you trust me?"

"..Yes." I answer.

"Memories are powerful things.. And one encased in crystal will last an eternity. I promise you that you'll meet him again." She tells me as I feel a gentle hand on my arm.

I turn to look her in the eyes; not to seek out the truth, but to thank her for everything she has done for me. When I turn, my eyes find nothing but an empty field. I felt her back against mine and her hand on my arm, but there was nobody there.

 **Noel's POV**

"We have to go!" I shout to Serah, who's tearing eyes desperately search the blackness of the city below.

"But!-" She hesitates.

"He'll be alright. He's like Snow- Too stubborn to die. But we need to stop Caius!" I tell her.

In truth, nothing short of a miracle would have saved Cloud from that fall, but if the promise that he'd return kept Serah going, then it was a lie I was willing to tell. I take her hand and walk her over to the bow of the airship, which Sazh has positioned over the portal. It seemed cruel that Cloud had reluctantly gone on this journey, just to search out a way to Lightning, only to be pushed back at the final hurdle. I hope he's alright..

"We can catch him!" Hope's voice echo's through the wind, and I turn to find him atop the next ship.

"No, Hope! Not you!" Serah shouts back. "You have to wait here for Vanille and Fang!"

"You're right." He reluctantly agrees. "I'll see you on the new Cocoon!- Don't be late!"

"Count on it! This isn't goodbye!" I nod, giving him a thumbs up.

"Yeah, we'll be there- and Lightning will be with us!" Serah promises. "Please try and find Cloud!"

"I will! Take care." He says finally, turning the ship to go back into the city.

I see the uncertainty in Serah's eyes, but she takes a deep breath and a nod to tell me she was ready. Gripping her hand tightly, we throw ourselves into the void, hoping that we weren't jumping to our deaths. The sense of deja vu floods my body as I find myself falling down towards Valhalla; the empty city. We're heading straight for the obsidian shore, and we share a worried glance, both understanding that the fall would kill us. I wait in anticipation, when a pale pink glyph bursts out from nothing below us, and Odin appears. He catches us on his back and gallops through the air, slowly descending towards the sandy shore.

"This is Odin. Is Lightning trying to help us?" Serah wonders aloud.

"Well someone sent us a present." I smile, thankful that I wasn't splattered across the beach.

My eyes only find Caius when it's already too late. A powerful blast shoots from his sword, hitting Odin; who takes the brunt of the force, but causes him to fade away beneath us. We fall the remaining few meters and get the wind knocked out of us as we hit the sand. I quickly climb to my feet, not wanting to show any weakness to the man who trained me, and watch the dark mist of chaos swarm around his body.

"Just the two of you?" He asks, almost disappointed at Cloud's absence.

"It doesn't have to be like this, Caius!" I shout, readying my weapons.

"Here in Valhalla, the chaos is my ally." He tells us, taking a step closer. "Now let us decide the true history!"

Caius vanishes, but I've seen this trick before. My body takes over, and I throw my arms behind me to meet his blade as I turn around. Serah takes the opportunity to jab her blade at his side, but he breaks our locked swords and manages to step back, just as her sword skims across the front of his leather armour. I thrust my secondary sword at his face, which he evades by simply leaning his head away, but it gave Serah the chance to escape her vulnerable position.

"Give it up, Caius!" I shout.

"You cannot kill me. Not now."

"Ready?" Serah asks, tightening her grip on her sword.

"Together now." I nod, leading the charge.

With my smaller blade held in the reverse grip of my left hand, I charge forward, slashing at his torso. He leaps back as I spin, cutting high with my main blade while Serah runs in with a piercing stab which he barely evades. We continue our assault, slowly pushing him towards the black ocean until he's forced to leap back, into the icy liquid to stop our relentless attacks.

"Do you think this will make Yeul happy?!" I roar, charging forward, into the water.

"Which Yeul are you talking about?" He asks with a condescending tone. "I've known and protected hundreds of Yeuls. Although they had the same soul, every one of them was unique!" Caius continues, his voice growling with anger.

I drag my main sword upward, feeling the slight resistance of the water as it cuts through it, showering us both in the cold fluid. Caius arches his back away from my slice and counters with a low slash, which I have to leap over. His sword rips up the ocean floor, spraying me with wet sand. I have to jump back and go on the defensive as Yeul's sworn guardian continues to hack and slash at me.

"A Yeul who dreamed of travel!" He thundered, as I had to use both of my weapons to block his attack. "A Yeul who loved to sing!" Caius continued, dragging his sword across my body in a rage, managing to cut into the fur shoulder of my armour. "A Yeul who collected flowers..." He adds softly, not bothering to face me as he raises his blade into the sky. "They all died! All of them, before my eyes!"

My eyes widen as he spins on his heels and hammers the blade down on me. I keep my sword in a scissor guard, desperately pushing back against his unrelenting strength. Sparks fly off our weapons, which wrestle with each other for dominance, but I summon all of the strength I can muster and push his away slowly.

"But despite that, she chose to live again.. So she could be with you!" I scream, finally pushing his arms high enough to deliver a powerful kick to his chest, which sends him tumbling into the water. "I only ever knew the one Yeul. But that was enough." I explain, lowering my fighting stance as I remember her tender hand on my face. "She was smiling when she died. She believed in the future. She knew we'd meet again."

Caius remains knelt down in the shallow water as I approach. He glares at me, but I can tell he's taking in ever word I say, otherwise he would have attacked by now.

"Think, Caius. Think." I command, pointing my blade at him. "Was it really a curse? Was it forced on her by Etro? Do you really think Yeul wanted to die, and not come back? I tell Caius, who turns his head away to process my words. "Of course not. She wanted to come back. Every time she died in your arms, she wanted to come back. She knew her next life would be short. She knew!" I continue, gripping my sword in anger, but eventually lowering it. "Because she wanted to see you! Again and again, without end!"

"Enough, no more! Lies!" Caius roars, quickly rising to his feet and slamming his sword down on me.

"Why won't you believe me!?" I shout back, blocking his strike before pushing him back.

Caius looses his footing as he is pushed back, deeper into the ocean. All of the force behind his sword vanishes and I push it away with my main blade and I drag my secondary up across his body. My former mentor grunts in pain as he's lifted off the ground, before finally landing face up in the dark water. Wisps of Chaos swarm around his body, blanketing it from my view as I hear Serah's footsteps splashing towards me.

"Noel?" She says nervously.

"It's over." I tell her, instantly regretting my words when I see Caius' silhouette rise from the cloud of chaos.

The dark mist evaporates, and the realization that Caius was immortal sent fear running through my body. The pair of us begin to step back from the weakened but very much alive man, eventually making our way back onto the dry sand without taking an eye off him. I tense up as he walks towards us; wincing with every step until he's a sword's length away.

"Noel, you told me Yeul is reborn because of me. Then I must die. We must free Yeul." He coughs, clutching his glowing chest. "Kill me. You're the only one who can end this eternal torment."

"Even if it where for Yeul's sake... I wouldn't wanna kill you.." I tell him, lowering my weapon.

"Lightning is dead. I killed her with my own hands. Will you allow me to go unpunished?" He asks, looking at Serah.

"He's lying.." I assure her.

"In Valhalla, time does not flow as it should. Long before we began our battle here, I had already faced her. Now she sleeps, never to wake." Caius tells her as he pulls out the necklace Cloud gave to her. "Things that shall happen in your future have already been decided... in my own past. I know how it begins, and how it ends."

"Then you should know you can't provoke me, and holding that pendant doesn't mean she's dead." I tell him, although I see Serah isn't convinced. "I'm not going to kill you."

"Hmph." Caius grins. "That's right. You hate to kill anyone, don't you? Noel, born at the end of days. You understand the true value of life.. But know this.. You will kill me, Noel." He adds, giving me a wicked smile that told me he was about to attack.

"Caius, No!" I shout as he rips his blade through the sand, and attacks Serah.

With all of the power I could call upon, I slam my sword against his own, forcing it out of his hand. Disarmed, Caius does not resist as my sister blade comes closer and closer to his heart. I know it was the only way to stop him, but even after all he's done, I don't want to take his life. A smile breaks out across his face as he welcomes the death that he craves, but I stop the tip of my sword less than an inch away from his ribcage.

"Give it up. I won't do it." I tell him.

"Impressive." The purple haired man huffs as his hands grip my sword and pull it towards him.

"No!" I plead.

"He who can change time, much choose between those who die, and those who live. You must bear the burden.. Of the eternal paradox!"

 **Cloud's POV**

Relief washes over me when I find Bahamut flying towards me as I plummeted to the ground. It swoops below me, catching me on it's back before stopping to rest atop a nearby skyscraper. The dragon hadn't fared well against Caius, and the second it landed, the battle scared beast vanished from beneath my feet, dropping me a few feet to the roof. The sky above was littered with airships, which bombarded the monsters Caius had summoned. I needed to get to that portal to put an end to all of this, but with Bahamut temporarily out of action, I needed a ship. Firing off a ball of flames into the sky above me like a flare, I manage to get the attention of a nearby airship, which aims it's spot lights at the roof I was stood on.

"Cloud!?" I here Hope's voice call over a megaphone.

"Get me through that portal, Hope!" I shout, as the pilot masterfully parks the ship at the roof's edge.

"He's on! Get us up there!" Hope commands.

Within seconds, I'm looking down at the giant portal that will take me to the woman I love. Breaking into a run, I leap off the edge without so much as I goodbye and fall through the gate to the world I had been searching for, for so long. Finally, I was here.. Valhalla, the city time does not touch..

Opening my body wide to slow my descent, I search below me for signs of life, quickly finding Serah, Noel and Caius on the shoreline. When I get closer, I see Caius actually pulling Noel's blade toward him as the hunter desperately tries to resist. Even now, that man was incorruptible.. But I'm not.. I hoped my inhuman body would become more than a curse and protect me from the fall as I focus on the hilt of Noel's short sword. None of them see me coming until my blade had cut through Noel's and my feet hit the ground with bone shaking force. The impact knocks everyone else but me off their feet, leaving me standing over the purple haired man. I look down upon him as his lilac eyes lock onto mine with shock, but he almost seems pleased.

"Cloud!?" Serah gasps from behind when she finally get's back up.

"Where's Light?" I ask, expecting her to be here.

"I'm afraid you are too late.." The purple haired man tells me, standing up as he presents the necklace I gave to her.

"..No.." was all I could say, as an uncontrollable rage builds inside.

"Let's see if you can finish the job Noel could not.." Caius taunts.

"Caius! You said you wanted to die! Now you want to fight! What gives!?" The hunter asks, dropping the broken sword.

"This man is a paradox. He and Lightning are the reason this world is in the state it's in." Caius tells him, pointing his sword at me. "A fight to the death with you, Cloud strife, will repair the timeline. The result is insignificant.. I kill you, or you kill me, it makes no difference. Either way, this world will die."

"My world died with Claire.." I tell him, before taking in a final, deep breath before summoning all the materia my body would allow me to.

Raising my left hand in front of me, flames start to build in my palm, and I thrust it forward, sending wave after wave of fire at Caius. The flames quickly engulf him, but he walks through it unphased. For a second, I get a flash of Sephiroth in my mind, walking through my burning village, but I push it to the back of my mind, telling myself that I killed the man once, and as soon as I'd killed Caius, I'd do it again. Noel and Serah run to my side, ready to fight, but I shake my head. This was something I had to do alone.

Caius slams his sword into the sand and sends a blast of purple and black energy my way, but I use the buster sword's wide surface to deflect it over my shoulder and into the city. The thunderous rumble of a building collapsing behind me drowns out the sound of the ocean lapping up on the shore, yet my eyes stay fixated on the purple haired man. I think about my arsenal of materia and my plan of attack. Usually, I would cast 'big guard', but a part of me wanted to feel the pain that was sure to come. I tell myself that it's because I wasn't taking a defensive stance in this fight, but in reality, I felt like I deserved the pain for loosing Claire. A self destructive punishment.. _Another failed promise.._

Yeul's guardian capitalizes on my brief self loathing, quickly closing the gap between us and swiping at me with his demonic blade. I get a face full of sand as he rips it up with a back hand grip, but it cleaves through nothing but air. I counter with a horizontal cut, only for the edge of my weapon to get caught in one of the many serrations in his sword. We wrestle for dominance briefly, and I find myself wishing I had a second sword, like the hunter. With my palm pushing against the flat edge of the buster sword, I push him back and rain lightning bolts down from the sky. They hit us both, although I'm grounded from the shock thanks to the materia arrangement I hadn't really changed since scaling the Junon high voltage support.

"Wings of night!"

Staggering back, Caius burns with a dark aura, which masks his body like a veil. An ear splitting roar bursts from the darkness, just before Caius' Bahamut form reveals itself. Diving my hand into my pocket, I pull out two red orbs and push them into my forearm, instantly feeling the strain of their power. Using the first summon materia I ever acquired, I call upon it's power as I run down the beach, desperate to get as much distance from the dragon as I could. The sound of galloping talons behind catches my attention, but by the time I turn, it's already by my side. A golden Chocobo, covered with ornate silver armour runs at my side with a wing lowered. I jump on quickly, grateful for it's blistering pace.

By now, Serah and Noel are just specks on the other end of the beach, and for now, that's how I wanted it to stay. Caius had turned his entire focus on me. Even in the dull light of Valhalla, I see the winged shadow of Jet Bahamut lingering over me like death, waiting for the opportune moment to strike. With my other summon materia practically begging to be released, I fire it into the ocean as I cling to the chocobo; who's skillfully dodging Caius' attacks.

"Into the streets!" I order, instantly getting a submissive nod.

I know the summon magic to keep the Chocobo in this realm would wear off soon, but I only needed a little longer to set my traps. By now, the amount of materia drawing from my power was crippling, but I push another ruby orb into my arm. It burns as it sinks in, but when the building in front of me explodes like a grenade, I forget about the pain and steer the Chocobo through the dust cloud. Weaving in and out of the buildings, I fire the third summon up onto a distant tower as the Jet Bahamut lands on the structure in front of me.

A ball of purple energy builds in it's claw shaped beak, and with no side streets to veer down, I'm left to draw my weapon as the Chocobo carries us closer to danger. I rest my sword over my shoulder as Caius releases his blast of energy. Slashing the air, I send a beam of blue energy on a collision course with Caius' attack and dispersing it. The dark dragon flaps its wings and lifts off the roof of the building it was perched on to give chase, but atop the distant tower, my summon was ready. Ramuh, stood with a golden staff held high. Lightning arcs through the charcoal clouds like a spider's web, and I feel the static building, even from this far away.

Caius senses it too, and he doesn't need any excuse to chase me back towards the beach, away from the summon. The dark shore was a few hundred meters away, but the guardian doesn't want to wait. I see his shadow over me grow bigger, and I can't help but look up to find him dive bombing me. The Chocobo senses it too and buries it's talons into the stone floor, stopping it almost instantly. Caius overshoots but manages to open his wings up to keep him airborne, but not for long. Purple lightning falls from the sky, striking Caius with a blinding light, and turning the stone building nest to him into a flowing mound of lava. The dragon falls to the earth like a dead bird. He struggles for a second before turning back to his human form.

"Such strength.." Caius coughs. "You truly are a worthy opponent."

I let out a grunt, but say nothing. I could only keep the Chocobo here for another minute at best, so I point it towards the beach. Caius sprints after me, but could not keep up with the golden bird. Noel and Serah gasp when they see me charging towards them, but they step aside as I use the last of my summon's energy to sprint across the placid water. Glancing back, I see Caius has bolted past Serah and Noel and used an ice spell to give himself a solid platform to run across.

The feathery bird below me vanishes in an instant and I fall into the deep ocean just as I'd hoped. I stay below the surface, smiling as I try to picture Caius' confused face. The current builds below me, and I look down to find a pair of glowing blue eyes coming towards me from the dark depths. Turning to where I think Caius had stopped, I look up and wait until I feel the Leviathan push on the soles of my boots with unreal strength. I shoot towards the sky like a bullet, bursting through the calm surface of the water like a volcano. The purple haired man's eyes widen at the sight of me stood fifty feet above him on top of the Leviathan, but he doesn't notice the waves, which crack his thin surface of ice.

Caius steps back, away from the cracked ice, but there was nowhere to run from my comet materia. Flaming rocks fall from the sky, crashing into the frozen platform. He falls into the ocean, but there's no rest for him. The sea serpent slams it's head into the water to consume Caius, leaving me to fall into the ocean myself. I swim to shore as the Leviathan snakes around in the water, to find Serah rushing towards me.

"Cloud! You're okay!" She smiles.

"I'm fine.." I cough, shaking the water from my hair like a dog.

"It's not over yet.." Caius growls as he walks out of the sea.

"Noel, take Serah and try to find Claire. " I order.

"But-"

"NOW!" I roar, getting a reluctant nod.

"Are they not joining us?" He asks.

"I'm not letting you anywhere near Serah.. You've already taken one person I love from me. You won't take another." I tell him.

"Then here is where you need to aim." He grins, pointing to his glowing heart. "I'm sure you won't hesitate like Noel.."

"He's a good kid.. I'm not." I reply, tightening my grip on my sword.

I leap into the air and bring my sword down on him, but he vanishes, leaving me to bury my sword in the sand. Caius appears behind me and slashes at my arm, cutting the ribbon in half as he carves into my skin. I push off my embedded sword and kick his weapon out of his hand, trying my best to forget the pain. He looks back to his blade but leaves it laying on the ground. Turning to me with his fists clenched, Caius gives me a wicked grin.

"Hand to hand.. It's the basis of all combat. Only a fool trusts his life to a weapon." He tells me.

I raise up my hands and wait for him to throw the first punch. I suppress a smile when I remember Claire's survival knife is in my back pocket. Caius throws the first jab, which I weave away from as I mentally plan how I would take his life.

"Something amusing?" He asks, pushing my fist out of the way and countering with a knee to the ribs. "Lightning carried that same smug look.. Right until the end.."

My blood boiled with anger that Caius could trigger so easily. No matter what happened here, I'd already lost the one thing I tried to cling to so desperately. Visions of Claire flash through my mind, and when I snap back to focus, the purple haired man stood bloodied and bruised. I didn't remember hitting him, but the blood dripping from my knuckles told be otherwise. Tackling him to the ground with my shoulder, I pummel him in a blind rage until his fist finds my kidneys, winding me. Gasping for breath, I do nothing to stop Caius from throwing me off him and climbing back to his feet.

Staggering to my feet quickly, I bring my fists up defensively, but my enemy lets out a grunt and holds out his hand, quickly materializing his demonic weapon. I roll my shoulder away from his slash and punch him across the face with all of the strength I could muster. Caius is turned around by the force of my strike, giving me the split second I needed to take out Claire's knife.

"This is for Claire." I growl as I ram the knife through his ribcage and into his heart.

"..Freedom... at last.." Caius coughs as he uses the last of his strength to hand me Claire's necklace before collapsing. "When one guardian kills another, they gain a piece of their power.. I hope it haunts you till your last breath, Cloud Strife.."

Caius grips my arm weakly as I pull out Claire's knife, and I feel a pain shoot through my body. The man falls limp a second later, and Chaos erupts from his body, straight into the air like a flare. It only lasts briefly, and when it stops, the guardian's body turns to light and dissipates into the wind. Looking at my reflection in the bloodied knife, I could only hope that Claire found some rest knowing that he had been avenged.

"Cloud!" I hear Serah shout from behind me.

By the time I turn to face her, the young pinkette had already raced across the sand and had her arms wrapped around me tightly. Now that Caius was dead, I thought I'd feel better, but I don't. I'd lost the second that Claire stepped foot in Hojo's lab, and this journey had been nothing more than a misguided hope for a happiness I thought I'd never find. No.. This wasn't the end. I still had Holy..

"Noel, did you find Claire?" I ask.

"No she's nowhere in the temple. Cloud, maybe Caius.." He begins, but doesn't dare finish.

"Look, Kupo! The gates!" Mog interrupts as golden gates appear around us.

"Mog, is Claire here? Can you sense her?" I ask in desperation.

"No, kupo.." It shakes it's head. "Maybe she rests in the human world, Kupo?"

"The timeline is back to how it was. Maybe Light is waiting for us." Serah suggests weakly.

I didn't want to hear it, but maybe Mog was right. If I stepped though the gate, I had no idea where it would take me, or to what era, however, staying here wasn't an option. I look down at Serah, with a heavy heart, and she seems to understand that we have to leave. The pair of us follow the hunter to the gate, which activates in our presence. I take a final look at the temple, praying for a sign of Claire, but there's nothing. Letting out a deep sigh, I step though the gate, still holding Serah's hand.

Again, we're falling though the air at great speed. We'd made it back to Pulse, and part of me just wanted to close my eyes and wait for the impact, but Serah's friend had other ideas. I hear his cheerful voice before I see his airship, which zooms towards us, ready to pick us up.

"Hey, Look! The hero's are back!"

"It's Sazh." Noel says cheerfully as he lands on the roof of the ship. "Nice catch!"

"Welcome home!" Sazh replies over the intercom.

Serah lands next, grabbing on to the hunter's outstretched hand before her boots gracefully touch down. Finally, my own boots find the metal hull of the airship, and the three of us take in the sight of Hope's new ark, floating in the sky. Somehow, that kid had managed to turn a dream into a reality that would save the human race. I look upon it in wonder and think about my own home as Sazh ascends over the portal to give us a better view. How would I ever get back?

"Hey, Cloud." Serah says, pulling me from my thoughts. "Thank you.."

"Serah?" I frown, when her eyes widen and fear grips her. "No. Not now, please!" I beg, quickly realizing she was having a vision. "Serah! Snap out of it! NO!" I shout, shaking her shoulders violently.

Her body goes limp and falls back, but I grab her hand and pull her into my chest. The pinkette's legs give way, and we both drop to our knees, with Noel by our side in an instant. He too tries to rouse her, but she was gone.. After everything we'd been through, I thought she'd be okay. Yeul was right.. Serah was the same..

"Serah!" I roar as the tears burst from my mako eyes.

"..Cloud?" I hear Hope's voice say sheepishly, just after I here boots landing on the airship. I shake my head, unable to bring myself to speak.

"But why? You where safe, everything was fine."

"The future changed... It changed.." Noel sobs at my side. "If you change the future, you change the past. The effects ripple outwards, up and down the timeline. The seeress is forced to see it all."

"You mean Serah.. She saw this vision?" Hope questions.

"Yes.. And it killed her.." I answer, feeling my voice break at the end. "I wanted to protect her.. I thought I had.. I thought she was safe!" I cry, pulling her to my chest.

My eyes notice a faint glow coming from my pocket, and I quickly pull it out. It was the Holy materia. I feel my heart skip a beat, and with a near none existent chance of saving Claire, I don't have to even think about what I'm about to do. Resting the pale green orb on her chest, I wait for it to work, but nothing happens.

"Come on!" I growl, annoyed at the glowing marble.

" _Holy needs to be in a sacred place to be used."_ I hear Aeris voice whisper.

"Sacred place..." I mutter. "Valhalla!"

"Cloud, what are you doing!?" Noel asks when I stand with Serah in my arms.

"Taking her back to Valhalla." I answer.

"But the portal is closing!" Hope shouts.

"Fine, but I'm coming with you!" Noel orders.

"No, I don't think there's a way back.. Noel.. You really are the best of us." I nod before running off the roof of the airship and into the portal.

To my relief, Odin catches us on his back the second we fall through the portal, as if he had been expecting us. Within seconds, we're back on the obsidian shoreline of Valhalla, and I leap off his back with Serah still held tightly in my arms. I lay her down onto the sand and place the holy materia bock on her chest, and to my relief, it sinks in. A deep gasp for breath makes me by surprise, but when I see her pale blue eyes open and find my own, I can't help but smile.

"You're eyes are all red and puffy." She says with a weak smile. "Have you been crying for me?"

"Well, maybe you weren't quite as big of a pain in the ass as I thought." I grin, wiping my teary eyes. "Are you okay?" 

"Yeah.. I think.. wait, this is Valhalla. Am I dead?"

"No, you're not dead. Not anymore.. But this is Valhalla." I answer.

"How did you-" She begins.

"It doesn't matter. What matters is that you're alive. Now we just need to figure out a way out of here."

" _My master is about to take her place on the crystal throne.. It would fill her heart with joy if you where to see her first."_

"Did you just hear a voice in your head?" Serah asks me with a frown.

"I did.." I answer. "Odin's voice.. my master..Claire!"

"My sister is alive?!" The pinkette gasps.

"Odin, take us to her!"

 **Lightning's POV**

I felt like I was stood in this field of flowers for an eternity, but in a blink of an eye, I was stood in front of the crystal throne. I no longer feel Etro's power flowing through the city, leading me to assume that she was dead. Now I finally understand.. If I died at the hands of Caius, nobody would be left to keep the chaos at bay. Closing my eyes, I search the timeline, quickly discovering that Cloud had not perished at the hands of Caius. A smile breaks free from my steely composure, but my premature happiness is quickly torn away by the sight of Serah falling lifelessly in the blonde's arms. For a moment, I can't breath, but the sight of Cloud pulling out a glowing materia from his pocket fills me with hope. I watch as he places the orb on her chest, only for it to do nothing. Again and again he tries, but she'd gone.. My sister was gone..

If I still didn't feel so guilty about what happened to Aeris, I'd be furious with her. My sister had died because of me, and I could do nothing but stand in a field of flowers. Still.. I know now what I must do. I will take Etro's place and hold back the chaos, all while preserving her memory for eternity. Taking sure footed steps up to the throne, I turn and sit upon it, only to stand a second later when I hear the unmistakeable sound of Odin's hooves, galloping through the stone temple. My eyes widen in disbelief, and I almost fall back onto the throne again when I see Cloud emerge on the back of Odin from the staircase.

"Cloud!?" I gasp with joy, but on further inspection I notice pink locks resting on his shoulder. "Serah!? You're alive?!"

The pair of them dismount, and I find myself frozen to the spot. I smile as I watch Cloud leap off Odin and sprint up the steps to the me. My mouth opens to speak, but his lips find my own as his hand runs through my hair. It was like all of my worries melted away with his touch. Everything I had ever cared for was stood in front of me, and yet my heart suddenly fills with dread.

"Claire?" Cloud frowns, pulling away from my lips briefly to see my grim expression.

I glance down, and the blonde follows my gaze to find my leg slowly beginning to crystallize. We look back up to each other and I see his heart breaking through his glowing eyes. He shakes his head as his jaw trembles with sadness and tears stream down is cheeks. Trying to stay strong, I give him a smile and place a hand on his damp cheek.

"It's alright.." I tell him. "We'll meet again. I promise." I add, feeling my waist starting to crystallise.

"No, I won't let you go!" He pleads, hugging my body tightly. "Don't leave me."

"What's happening?!" I hear my sister scream, but my eyes are fixated on the blonde.

The crystal had already made it up to my chest, so with only a few seconds left I cup his face with my hands and kiss his softly, before resting my forehead on his.

"I love you, Cloud Strife. I will always love you."

 **A/N: Think I'll just leave that there... next update in 2019! Only joking.**

 **Little longer this one, I hope you've all enjoyed it. 10 fanfiction points to the person who can tell me what game I have been playing this week. Geraze90, I'm glad you've never played it, that way you won't be able to tell how badly I've butchered the story lol. Jace, I love that quote, it should be on a shirt. I'd wear it every day. Next chapter will be the 'transition' chapter, bringing us back to where we left off in ff7 land. I do really love Caius, so it's a good think he's not quite finished yet :P been reading the story stats too. Almost 30k views and nearly 90 people following it. I'm so happy. That being said, I'm getting the same wonderful reviewers every time, so as a sort of reward if you will, I shall share with you a part of the next chapter before anyone else. That means you need an account my loyal guest!**

 **Want to thank you all for your continued support. Good or bad, leave a review. Criticism is always welcome. I noticed when writing this that I use the world 'but' FAR too often, but alas, I'm still learning. SEE I DID IT AGAIN!**


	54. A Hero's Return

**Serah's POV**

"I love you, Cloud Strife. I will always love you." My sister tells the blonde with tears streaming down her face.

I could only see the back of Cloud's head, but he was shaking uncontrollably. My sister's hands turn to crystal, still cupping the blonde's face. Running up towards the throne, I notice Light glance over the blonde's shoulder just long enough to give me a faint smile before the crystallization froze her features in place.

"Cloud, what's happening?!" I scream.

"She's gone.." He answers as if in a trance, pulling his head from her hands and touching her glittering face.

"Don't be upset Cloud.. To take Etro's place was an honorable sacrifice.."

"Caius!?" Cloud roars as we both turn around to find him walking towards the throne. "I killed you!"

"It would appear people that you kill have a habit of coming back." He answers smugly.

"How!?" The blonde growls, positioning me and Claire's frozen body behind him.

"The Chaos is the beginning and the end of life. It does not wish me to die."

"But if Claire has replaced Etro, she can control the Chaos!" I shout.

"Lightning now has the power to contain the Chaos, not manipulate it. She can keep me trapped here, but only for as long as she lives." Caius answers. "But that won't be for long.."

" _The ocean will take you home."_ A woman's soft voice speaks inside my head.

I glance to Cloud, who had heard it too, and I watch the cogs in his mind turn.

"ODIN!" Cloud roars, and within a few seconds the giant humanoid appears by his side. "I know I'm not your master, but I need you to listen to me. Take Claire to the water's edge and wait for me. Serah, follow Odin."

"But what about you?!" I gasp.

"I'll be right behind you." He tells me, drawing his sword. "Now, go!"

Cloud charges down the steps towards Caius and slashes him with so much force that he's flung across the room like a rag doll. I turn to Odin, who gently scoops my sister's crystal body up and gives me a nod. I follow Light's Eidolon through an open balcony behind the throne, and the pair of us leap over the edge and slide down the slanted wall. My bones shake with pain as they touch down, but I refuse to stop. I follow Odin through the city, listening to the explosions and blasts from the temple above. As I round the next corner, my eyes catch the temple, which is already engulfed in flames and crumbling.

After a couple of minutes, the buildings thin and I can see the dark ocean in front of me. The mysterious woman's words play over and over in my head, and I try to make sense of them. Were the words directed to me or Cloud? What if it sent us to Cloud's world? Snow would surely be waiting for me in Hope's new ark, but Cloud came all of the way from his own world to save my sister, and he's put his life on the line to help me more times than I could ever count. Maybe there was even a way to release Claire from her crystal sleep on his world..

The more I thought about it, the more I convinced myself that it was the right thing to do. Odin places Claire back down, resting her statue in the sand and watching as the tide laps up around her boots. The ground shakes and the temple starts to collapse in on itself, filling the city with a cloud of debris. I shield my eyes with my arm and brace as the shockwave hits my body. Despite my best efforts, I'm blown across the sandy beach.

"Into the water!" I hear Cloud's voice roar.

His voice came from the dust, but the first thing I saw was sparks. My eyes widen when I see Caius racing towards me, bloodied and filled with anger. I freeze on the spot, but a lightning bolt hits the purple haired man, a second before he's tackled to the ground my the blonde.

"NOW!" He screams at me and Odin.

I do as he says and start running into the water. It quickly becomes too deep to stand, but I'm unsure of where I'm supposed to go. Odin does the same, but manages to get much further into the water with his long legs. He rests my sister's body on the water's surface and let's her go, watching briefly as she sinks to the bottom. I immediately swim to where he let her go and dive under. Light's crystal body glistens in the dark water as it sinks, and I swim as fast as my body allowed me to catch her. It felt like I was swimming for minutes before my eyes finally close with exhaustion.

 **Cloud's POV**

"You insist on fighting me, even after I have granted you a great gift?" Caius asks.

"Gift?" I frown, as I mentally decide what materia I should use.

"Legends told of the day Ragnorok would mark the end for the human world. The Fal'Cie wanted it to awaken so they could meet their maker. But the death of a God would release something far more sinister. Fenrir.. Even the maker feared it, and cast it into the abyss, where Etro took pity on it and brought it here. But the beast became too powerful, and the foolish Goddess could not control it. In the end, she used the Chaos to tether it in Valhalla, but she grew weaker as time passed.. With my death, Etro died too, and the beast was released from its chains. I gave you a piece of Chaos, and in doing so, Fenrir chose you as a host."

"I don't want your gifts, I'm already a monster!" I growl. "Either way.. I won't let you kill Claire."

"I had no desire to take her life. Or anyone else' for that matter. All I want, Cloud.. Is to save Yeul. And to do that I had to kill the Goddess that cursed her. Now that Lightning has taken up Etro's mantle, I have no choice but to kill her.. But know this.. It would be a mercy."

"Mercy? How could you say that?!" I roar, using my quake materia to bring the temple down on his head.

"The Chaos is too powerful for even Etro to keep at bay. Over the centuries it slowly eroded her lifeforce, leading to a slow and crippling death."

"I can save her!"

"You can't even save yourself!" Caius snaps back, cutting through a falling piece of the temple's roof.

The building starts to collapse around us, so I quickly search for an exit. I sprint to the stairs, but as I get close, a part of the wall collapses and seals it off. Spinning on the spot, I begin to look for another way out, only to be met by caius' fist, which smashes me through the stone wall. My body collides with the wall of the nearest building, taking the breath out of my lungs. I begin to fall down to the street below, and quickly jab my sword into the wall, stopping my descent. The shockwave from the temple disintegrating cracks the wall of the building I was clinging too, sending me tumbling back to earth.

For a moment, my world turns black and my ears ring violently. I try to stand, but I'm buried in tonnes of rubble. I see the fur topped boots of Caius through the gaps in the rubble, and my heart skips a beat when I realize he was heading for Serah and Claire. Struggling under the rubble, it becomes apparent that I no longer had the strength to free myself. I think of all the materia in my possession, remembering the Titan summon. Grateful that I still had the energy to summon the Titan, I feel the pressure alleviate from my back as the giant pulls the bits of wall off me with ease.

In pain but alive, I race after Caius through the dust cloud. I finally see him, just before we get to the edge of the city, and I attempt to cleave him in half with my sword. He vanishes before my blade can connect with his body, and appears at my side, using his blast attack to throw me to the ground.

"Into the water!" I roar at Serah from the ground, hoping she could hear me.

Caius must have spotted the pinkette, because he breaks into a run with his sword held behind him. I stagger to my feet and hit Caius with some lightning to give me the opportunity to catch him. The bolt of electricity stops him just long enough for me to tackle him to the ground.

"NOW!" I scream at Serah and Odin, who finally listen to me.

The purple haired guardian elbows me in the face as he rolls, and in the blink of an eye, he's stood over me with his sword ready to sever my head from my body. I bring my sword up just in time to guide his own away from my head, and with my spare hand, stab the survival knife into his leg. He stumbles away from me, giving me the opportunity to get back up and run to the water. Odin runs out of the water as I run in, nodding as he passes.

" _Go now, Cloud Strife. Watch over my master and I shall ensure your escape."_

 **Tifa's POV**

I lower the map from my face when the sound of the ship's horn signals that it had docked. I'd reached Mideel; a remote town that was so far away from the rest of the world's problems. There where few places that where further away from the northern crater, but I was running out of places to search. If Cloud hadn't washed up here, I only had a few remote islands left to search; most of which weren't even marked on a map. Walking down the ramp from the ship to the dock, I follow the concrete mooring to the golden sand. The sun felt good on my face, and a part of me felt guilty for enjoying it as I strolled down the beach. I walk for about half a mile and cut in through the palm trees to reach the carefree town that was cut off from the rest of the world.

I stroll into the tropical town, receiving warm smiles from everyone I had passed. Mustn't have TV's here, or they'd have realized I was right at the top of Shinra's most wanted. When I reach the center of the town, I spin around on the spot, instantly feeling stupid. Cloud wasn't here.. Why would he be? He fell into the lifestream on the other side of the world, but I was still clinging to the hope that I'd find him sunbathing and drinking from a coconut a thousand miles away. I'm brought out of my self pity when I feel something furry rest itself on my leg.

"What's the matter? Are you all alone?" I ask the dog, kneeling down to stroke it's soft fur. "You got lost, didn't you? Separated from someone you love... Silly thing.."

" _Guess it's been a week now since they washed up on the shore.. The spiky headed one looks like he's been to war."_

" _You're not wrong there. That sword was heavy too. Even though he was in a coma, it took the doctor an hour to prize it from his hand. I wonder who the pink haired one is."_

My mind races as I overhear the two men talking across the street, and I nearly fall on my face as I scramble to my feet and rush over to them. The pair look startled at my demented expression when I barge between them like a wild woman.

"Excuse me! The people you were talking about. Where are they?!" I demand.

"He's at the clinic, just up there miss." The man says, pointing to a large building to the north.

Tears of excitement are streaming down my face as I dash up the sandy street towards the clinic. I skid to a stop and almost rip the door off it's hinges as a single nurse recoils at the sight of me. My head darts from left to right until I see the unmistakable sight of Cloud's sword through the gap in one of the white curtains that allows patients their privacy.

"Hey! You can't go in there!" The nurse shouts, but I ignore her and burst through the curtain.

I feel my heart fill with relief and joy as I lay my eyes on my oldest friend, but confusion takes over when I turn to Lightning. It wasn't her. She had the same pale pink hair and features, but she was smaller, and younger. I try to work out what had happened, but the stern footsteps of the doctor pull my attention away.

"Can I ask who you are, miss?" He questions with his arms folded in annoyance.

"They're my friends." I answer, unable to contain my joy. "I've searched everywhere for them. Are they going to be okay?"

"I'm sorry, I can only tell their next of kin." The doctor answers, ever the professional.

"I guess I am.. He never knew his father, and his mother died when he was young. I've known him all of my life.."

"Ahh... Very well then.." He sighs. "I shall get my medical report. One moment."

I give the man a nod and instantly yank my phone out of my pocket to dial the others.

" _Tifa? Everythin' okay?" Barret asks._

"You need to get to Mideel right now! I've found Cloud!"

" _For real?! Light there too?" He questions._

"Erm.. It's hard to say.. just get here quick!" I shout.

" _Cid, head to Mideel!- I know the reactor ain't in Mideel fool! Tifa's found spiky!- That's what I've been trying to tell you!-"_ Cid and Barret bicker, but I put the phone down and sit by Cloud's bed, stroking his blonde locks.

It takes a few hours, but the others eventually get here, and barge through the clinic like I did. The room felt cramped with everyone stood inside it, but each and every one of them had a warm smile on their face when they saw Cloud. They all asked questions that I didn't have the answers to, but it was Cid who changed the subject in an instant.

"Looks like Light shrank in the wash." He says when he pushes a tuft of pink hair out of the girl's face.

"Hey, you're right. That ain't Light." Yuffie agrees. "I wonder who it is. Sure looks like her."

"Lightning often spoke of a younger sister. It seems the logical explanation." Nanaki suggests.

"Damn it!" Barret growls, slamming his fist against the wall.

"What's up with you, grumpy?" Yuffie asks.

"I hoped Lightning would be okay.." He answers. "I gotta lot of apologizin' to do.."

"urghh..."

"CLOUD!?" The whole room gasps.

"... Tifa?" He mumbles, before quickly sitting bolt up right. "Claire!"

"Good of you to join us. While you've been drinkin' mojito's and getting a tan, we've been savin' the world." Cid playfully teases.

"H-Hey, take it easy!" I scald, pushing him back down onto the bed. "Lightning isn't here. Do you know who this is?"

"Serah.. Her sister.." He tells us. "Is she okay?"

"One full body examination comin' up!" Cid jokes.

"haha.. I've missed you, Cid." Cloud smiles weakly.

"Yuffie, why don't you try out the new heal materia you got from Cosmo Canyon." Vincent suggests.

 **Cloud's POV**

I feel my strength return to me in an instant, and within minutes, I'm stood up at the side of the bed stretching. I take the full heal materia from Yuffie, who can't resist giving me a tight bear hug. After peeling myself away from the young Wutaian, I take the emerald orb from her hand and use it on Serah, who slowly, comes to. I couldn't look her in the eye, knowing I had no idea where her sister was, but I feel her hand grab mine and squeeze it.

"..You're alright.. I was worried.." She says weakly. "Is light..?"

All I can do is shake my head in shame and look even further away.

"Hey, we'll find her." She says cheerily. "Um.. Cloud, who are all of these people?"

For a moment, I'd forgot all about the others, who stood silently on the other side of the beds. I introduce them to her one by one, laughing at Serah's face when Nanaki spoke. Each of them offer their warmest welcomes; none more so than Barret, who promises to watch out for her until his last breath. The guilt must have been eating away at him while I was gone, but I know Light wouldn't be mad at him. I make a note to talk to him about it later, but a more pressing matter has me worried. What would I do with Serah? Would she be in more danger by my side, or left in a world she didn't understand?

"Don't you dare think for a second that you're leaving me here." She frowns, seemingly able to read my mind.

"Haha, she sound's just like Light." Cid laughs.

"I've no idea where Lightning is, but I will find her. I don't want you to get hurt along the way." I explain.

"Er, Cloud. Sorry to piss on ya plans, but finding Light is gonna have to wait." Cid tells me.

"I'm sorry guys, but she means the world to me. I will find her. On my own If I have to." I say defiantly.

"Well if you're gonna find her make it quick. We'll all be dead soon anyway."

"What?" I frown at the pilot.

"Might wanna take your spiky ass outside for a second." Cid tells me. "We'll wait.."

I look at the others, but they all avoid my gaze. Nobody was willing to tell me what had happened, so I walk over to the door. I grip the handle, terrified at what I might see, but I feel a hand on my shoulder.

"Doesn't matter what it is. You'll get through it." Serah tells me with a smile, somehow managing to muster up the energy to get out of the bed.

Not convinced, I turn to the door and open it slowly, expecting to see the world burning by the way Cid was going on, but other than the sun that stung my eyes and the Highwind floating in the distance, I saw nothing but I peaceful, tropical town. I wonder if this was Cid's idea of a joke, so I take a few steps into the street with Serah right behind.

"Looks fine to me." I huff, turning back to the clinic.

That's when I see it. Looming in the sky with a demonic red glow. Meteor. It all comes back to me in an instant, and I feel sick knowing that this was all my fault. I needed to fix this. I needed to fix this quickly.. Running back inside, I see the others waiting for me, ready to be bombarded with the mountain of questions I had.

"How long do we have?" I ask.

"Precisely? We do not know. Bugenhagen estimates around a week." Vincent answers.

"Shinra is planning something with huge materia which sounds like it's just gonna make things worse. We've stolen some of the huge materia. We've got intel that they're moving some from the underwater reactor in Junon. We were on our way when we got the call from Tifa." Barret explains.

"And Sephiroth?" I wonder, almost too afraid to ask.

"Sealed inside the northern crater." Nanaki tells me. "But Cloud, where did Serah come from. And where is Light?"

I take a seat and explain everything to them, with Serah filling in the blanks that I couldn't answer. We must have been talking for hours, and it felt like a weight lifted off my shoulders by the time I'd finished.

"Well then.. Looks like you owe me 4500 Gil, Spiky." Barret tells me.

"Hmm?" I frown.

"I hired a first class Soldier for two jobs. Your CV was misleadin'." He replies.

"I understand if you don't trust me anymore.." I sigh, lowering my head.

"I'm just bustin' ya balls, spikey." Barret laughs. "Can't be any worse than Cid!"

"Hey!" The pilot shouts, but his voice is drowned out by a deep rumble which shakes the building violently.

"What's going on?" Serah panics, trying to keep on her feet.

"Weapon's been flyin' round, bustin' shit up! We gotta bounce!" The Avalanche leader explains.

"Take Serah to the ship, I'll take care of it." I tell the others.

"Cloud, have you seen that thing?! It's fuckin' huge!" Barret shouts.

"Just get on the ship and get to a safe distance."

"Cloud, use this." Yuffie instructs, tossing me an emerald orb.

I grab my sword and run outside, instantly noticing the shadow that loomed over the town. The others funnel out of the building and run into the trees towards the Highwind, as I calmly pace into the middle of town with my sword resting over my shoulder. The 'Weapon' looked remarkably like Caius' jet Bahamut, sharing the same black and deep purple colour scheme, but this thing was much bigger. I quietly scald myself for possibly biting off more than I could chew, but my hope was that defeating this thing would instil the trust I felt I had lost with the group.

"Come on then, let's get this over with." I sigh as the dragon like monster lands, crushing a small shop with it's tail.

The monster lets out a piercing roar, which somehow manages to crack the sandy ground. It rears on it's back limbs, and a red glow starts to to build in the center of it's chest. The glow becomes a blinding crimson light, before disappearing in an instant, only to be replaced by a blue beam of energy, that shoots towards me. I use the wide face of my sword to deflect the beam away from me, and I watch as it turns a nearby house to bubble, before continuing on, ripping through the trees. I run forwards, noticing the heat mirage pouring from my weapon, and slash at the dragon like creature, but it's armour was impenetrable.

I continue to slash at the beast, determined to find a weak spot. It's body and limbs were too heavily armoured, so leap high and slash at it's neck, only for the beast to grip my sword in it's teeth and slashing me across the chest with it's claw. The pain was searing, and I was left to dangle off the ground, clinging to the handle of my sword. I take the materia Yuffie gave me and grip it tightly, instantly feeling an immense power building. A high pitched squeal bursts from the materia with a blinding, green light that looked like the lifestream. For a moment, I was blinded and dazed, but then my vision returns, the 'Weapon' is heavily damaged, with smoke pouring off it's body. It growls in pain and slams it's front limbs into the ground with so much force that I'm knocked down.

By the time I had climbed to my feet, the monster was flying away, and the town was slowly starting to break up and get consumed by the earth, which spewed up the glowing green liquid, Mako. I dash towards the ship, which is flying towards me with a thick rope dangling from the rear deck. Still sprinting, I run through the trees and jump high, using one of the mass of wooden trunks to kick off and grip the rope. Looking up, I find Barret peering over the edge, just before his incredible strength reels in the rope and pulling me onto the wooden deck.

"That was tougher than I expected." I laugh, laying down on the wooden deck.

"Got some bad new's for ya. That ain't the only one. It does seem to be the only one causin' shit though." Barret tells me. "Let's get inside. That Serah's having kittens over you fighting on your own."

"She's a sweet kid." I tell him. "She might not look much, but she's tough."

I head inside to find a mixture of impressed and relieved expressions, my my eyes fall on Serah, who stands sheepishly next to Tifa.

"So, am I coming with you?" She asks.

"Cid, head to Junon." I command. "We'll pick you up a weapon there.." I add, earning myself a happy grin from the pinkette.

 **A/N: Not devil may cry (But what a game that was. My favorate ps2 game for years) The game I was playing was Metal Gear Solid. The quote 'Hand to hand.. It's the basis of all combat. Only a fool trusts his life to a weapon' is what Grey fox tells Snake when they first meet. For me, one of the defining moments in gaming that scene.**

 **Back to the story.. Didn't think I'd finish the chapter so quickly, but here it is.. I felt a little more Caius was needed, and I'm sure nobody will mind lol. This officially marks the end of the ff13-2 section. You may have noticed that Hojo's reports that Lightning read never came to anything, but perhaps they did ;). It's all just set up that will be tied in when the time is right, and with abit of luck you'll all go 'AHH! Now I get it!' lol. Cloud has some chaos in him. Not like Vincent as such, just like what everyone on Light's world has, but it will become important in the future.**

 **Just like to say thank you to my reviewers, old and new. And a big thank you for proof reading what I had so far and giving me some quality advice.**

 **Wolf**


	55. Red October

**Serah's POV**

The view from the airship was staggering, and I struggled to tear myself away from the bridge, just so I could look through the glass, down onto a strange new world. Cid; who was the ship's pilot, took great pleasure in pointing out landmarks as we past them, often telling a little story about the place. The only things that came out of the mans mouth where swear words and cigarette smoke, but he always took the time to answer any questions I had, as silly as they may have been.

Nanaki intrigues me the most. At first glance, he looked like a wild beast, but it couldn't have been further from the truth. I remember Cloud telling me that his friend Nanaki was the wisest person he knew, and it only took one brief conversation about the lifestream to accept the fact that the blonde was right. I have to keep mentally scalding myself for wanting to stroke him and sink my fingers into his amber fur, telling myself that it would be just as weird to do it to him as it would Barret.

Cid shout's down to his crew like a mad pirate captain, and I watch as they all run around, flustered. He makes an announcement that we'd be arriving in Junon in ten minutes, and less than a minute later, Cloud summons us all to the briefing room of the ship. My heart sinks when I think of the blonde, who had done nothing but apologize since we ended up in his world. He blamed himself for everything; on my planet and his own, and over time he'd drown in all of that guilt..

"...I'm the reason Meteor is coming." He begins, confirming my suspicions. "That's why I have to do everything in my power to fight this thing."

"Good! Then you're gonna keep fightin' to save the planet?!" Barret shouts with an excited tone.

"It's like you always told me, Barret.." Cloud says, letting out a grin to my surprise.

"Oh, uh, you mean that!" The dark skinned man shouts.

"What? I don't understand!" Nanaki barks, just as curious as I was.

"There ain't no gettin' offa this train!" Cloud, Barret and Tifa laugh, much to the confusion of the rest of us.

"I guess you had to have been there." Yuffie shrugs, shaking her head.

By the time everyone had finished talking, one of the crew shouted over the intercom that we had reached Junon. Cloud pours all of his materia on the mahogany briefing room table, and the others do the same, quickly producing a large pile of glowing crystals. Vincent; a mysterious man that spoke very little, brushed them all to one side and laid down a large map of the area.

"The huge materia is being held here." The man says, pointing to a round object, half a mile off the shore. "It is an underwater reactor."

"How do we get down there?" Tifa asks.

"There is a lift in Junon that goes down to the sea floor. From there, a large glass tunnel that will take us to the reactor. But we have to move quickly. Shinra is set to load it onto a submarine and transport it to Midgar."

"How do we know all of this?" Cloud wonders, impressed by the level of information they had gathered.

"Reeve has been quite useful in telling us of Rufus' plans." Nanaki tells him.

"Reeve?" I ask, not remembering being introduced to him.

"You know that big fat moogle thing on the bridge? That's alive.. Sort of." Yuffie explains.

"I thought it was a toy." I laugh, but inside I thought about Mog. I hope he was okay.

"So how we doin' this?" Barret asks, pulling everyone's attention back to the task at hand.

"Me, Serah and Tifa will head through Junon. Cid, I need the Highwind in the sky. If that sub sets off before we get down there, we'll need a way to track it or disable it." Cloud tells them.

"What are we gonna do? I wanna kick some Shinra ass!" The dark skinned man shouts.

"I need you all find vantage points in and around the city. If this goes south, we're gonna have a small army on our tail. You, Vincent and Yuffie all have long ranged weapons. Nanaki is as good as anyone with magic and faster than us all. He can go with Yuffie and call it as he sees it."

"Yay! Fight buddies!" Yuffie cheers, earning a deep sigh from the amber furred beast.

"Serah, can you still do magic?" The blonde asks me.

I shake my head after briefly trying to summon up some power, and I struggle to hide my disappointment. I didn't want to be a burden to the group, and without my magic or weapon, I felt like I was endangering people who have been nothing but welcoming. Cloud's hand hovers over the pile of materia, and he plucks out a bright yellow orb. He holds out his empty hand, and I offer up my own, watching with great curiosity. The blonde places the round crystal on my arm and it slowly melts into my arm until it vanishes completely.

"Can you fell it? You'll pick it up quickly, but we'll pick you up a weapon along the way." He smiles warmly. "Right, let's go ruin Rufus' day!" The blonde shout's finally, earning a cheer from the group.

Their hands all select their desired materia, and within seconds, the table is empty. Everyone starts to check over their weapons, leaving me to stand and wait. I feel a gentle hand on my shoulder, and I turn to find Tifa, who gestures me to follow her. She leads us over the rear deck, which gives us a great view of the strange town below. The town consisted of streets that where stacked and staggered on top of each other, narrowing at the top as it ran up the mountain it was built upon. I find myself glancing at the beautiful brunette, who rests her arms on the rail that lined the deck.

"Don't you have a weapon either?" I ask, earning myself a grin.

"These are my weapons." She answers, bringing up her clenched fists.

"We ready?" Cloud asks, appearing from behind.

"Yes." The pair of us nod, as if we were soldiers.

"Yo, spiky!" Barret shouts, throwing a large wad of cash to the blonde. "Get her a good one!" He says finally before disappearing back into the heart of the airship.

Cloud descends down the rope ladder first, followed by me and Tifa. When we get to the bottom, a small and derelict village reveals itself. A large runway had kept it from view on the ship, but now that I was down here, I could see it all. Tifa points to a large, armoured steel door with a guard stood outside with his rifle resting on his shoulder. I feel nervous as we approach, but Tifa's march doesn't falter. Cloud shakes the man's hand, and if you weren't looking, you'd have missed it. The guard releases his grip and pockets a small handful of paper money, opening the door when he'd finished.

"See, it was that easy, Cloud." Tifa giggles to herself.

"What's so funny?" I ask curiously.

"The last time we we're here, Cloud climbed up that huge electrical support beam in the water." She explains, pointing to a huge, rusting pillar that extends up to the overshadowing runway above. "Light just walked up to the guard and handed him some money and we took the easy way up."

We head inside the cold and damp, concrete shaft, onto a large steel platform. Cloud operates a large switch in the corner of the lift, and we ascend slowly. When it finally stops, we exit into the first street, and I'm taken back by the sight. To my left was the ocean, which was hundreds of feet below, and to my right, a line of shops, hotels and houses. Tifa takes the lead, taking us in to a shop that was almost at the end of the street. A buzzer sounds as soon as we step foot inside, and it quickly becomes apparent that we were in a weapon store. I'd never seen a weapon store before, other than the wares Chocolina was selling. In my world, only Guardian Corps and Psicom were issued weapons, so the fact that anyone could come in any buy what the likes was a scary thought.

"Welcome! Take a look around. Anything you wanna try, there's a range at the other side of the room." The man behind the counter says, making a point of only addressing Cloud.

"Pick anything you like." Cloud smiles.

I walk around the room, ogling the guns and knives, until my eyes fall upon a strange looking bow with a deep purple riser. I take it off the rack, examining the thin steel cams that sat in between the edges of the split limbs. It was light, but well made from what I could tell, and I find myself taking three arrows off the shelf.

"Be careful there miss! That ain't no toy." The shop owner shouts condescendingly, but he's soon silenced when I fire all three arrows in quick succession, right into the bullseye.

I look at Cloud, silently telling him with puppy dog eyes that I had made my decision, and he simply nods, walking over to the counter.

"I'll take a quiver and some carbon arrows with broadheads too." He tells the man.

"Certainly. That'll be 4,100 Gil."

Cloud says nothing as he walks away from the counter and back towards the walls. Me and Tifa look at each other confused, as the blonde takes a pair of large, curved knives off the shelf, before proceeding back to the counter.

"5000 all together." The shopkeeper tells him, adjusting his price on the till.

"Be a shame to waste Barret's rare generosity." Cloud laughs.

Now armed with a weapon, the three of us follow Cloud back outside and we continue down the street.

"You feel like something's a bit off about this place?" Tifa asks.

"Yeah, can't put my finger on it though.." He answers.

 **Tifa's POV**

I feel nervous walking along the streets of the city that I was almost executed in, but with Cloud by my side, I know we'll be alright. Serah walks with confidence in between us, with her compound bow slung across her back. My oldest friend leads us off the streets and down a damp tunnel that has a metal lift door at the end. He presses the button, and we all watch the red gauge which slowly counted up the numbers until it reached us. The door flies open, and we're met with two Shinra infantrymen and a female who probably worked in one of their navy offices. Their relaxed stance quickly stiffens and their weapons are trained in our direction in a second. To all of our amazement, Serah had managed to take the bow from her back, nock an arrow and have it aimed at the right hand soldier's heart.

"Easy there.. We surrender." Cloud says to everyone's shock, as he gently pulls Serah's bow down.

Cloud puts his hands up, and the two of us do the same, sharing a confused glance as Serah places her bow on the ground. The two infantrymen relax their composure, but keep their weapons trained on us as they step out of the lift to slap on the handcuffs. The closest guard lowers his weapon, letting it dangle from his neck on it's sling as he reaches for the steel cuffs. That's when it happened. Cloud thrust his hand out, striking the man in the throat and yanking the gun out of the other soldier's hand in a single swoop. Another second passes, and the two men are struck with the wooden stock of the rifle and laying unconscious.

"Erm.. I'll just be going.." The woman says sheepishly, talking a hesitant step out of the lift.

"I can't afford to have you alerting the world that we're here." Cloud tells her, as he takes the handcuffs from the unconscious man and handcuffs her to the inside of the lift. "We'll let you go when we leave.. If you're quiet.."

"Nicely done. You had me worried there for a second." I praise.

"What are we doing about these two?" The pinkette asks.

"We'll drag them into the lift. Anybody sees them and we're done for." Cloud tells us.

It takes nearly five minutes to ride the lift all the way to the ocean floor, and the handcuffed woman did nothing but whimper. I tap my feet impatiently as I wait for the door to open, but the second it does, I have to take cover behind the lift walls. Two soldiers spot us and open fire immediately with little regard for the Shinra employee. Cloud uses his sword to deflect the bullets, which poured in the lift at an alarming rate, and Serah once again drew her bow, this time landing a perfect shot in the first man's chest and in the shoulder of the other. They both drop to the ground, but I have to knock the one Serah only wounded before he could reach the alarm.

"With a bit of luck, nobody heard that." Cloud states optimistically.

"Let's keep going." Serah says. "We've got nowhere to run if they sound an alarm." 

"Right." I nod. "Lets get a move on."

Me and Serah follow Cloud through the passageways until we reach the long glass tunnel. I couldn't decide whether it was beautiful or terrifying, but it was certainly breathtaking. It really made me think about just how vast the world was. I could see straight up through the glass, but the light of the sun couldn't penetrate the watery depths. We walk through the tunnel, reaching the door to the reactor when an orange and blue light catches my eye in the dark water. It vanishes behind the reactor before I could get a proper look, but a shiver runs down my spine none the less.

I don't dwell on what I might have saw, keeping my eyes focused on the task at hand. We enter the reactor, which is nothing like any reactor I had ever been in. Below the walkway we where stood on were two submarines; one red and one black. Cloud takes the lead down the metal meshed corridor, which makes a metallic echo with every step. The sound of a motor whining catches my attention as the cramped corridor becomes an open walkway over the reactor, and a large crane arm slowly runs on rails over the reactor pool, along side the walkway. We follow it until it stops at the core, and watch as it lowers it's clawed arm inside. After a few seconds, the arm retracts, revealing a large red crystal that dripped with mako.

"The huge materia!" I shout, as the arm continues it's journey along the track. "We've got to follow it!"

The crane holding the huge materia quickly disappears through a cutout in the wall, but we follow its general direction, which leads us down to the submarine docks. Cloud pauses, holding out his arm to stop us when he notices Reno stood next to the red sub, wearing his scruffy suit. We remain unnoticed as the materia is loaded into a hatch on the top of the red submarine, but if we didn't act soon, it would be lost forever.

"What are you doing? Help load." Reno orders as he senses us behind him. "Cloud!?"

"Either give it to us or else.." The blonde threatens.

"I'm afraid I don't have time to deal with you." The turk says with a cocky tone, before he notices Serah. "You.. you look a little different. Not as angry."

Reno flicks his hair back and reaches for his electro-rod, activating it with his thumb as he flicks it open. Yet again, Serah is like lightning, and fires an arrow at the rod, knocking it out of his hand. The Turk's eyes widen in horror, rolling away just as the pinkette's next arrow nicks the arm of his suit. Cloud runs after Reno, but quickly returns when the sound of heavy, mechanical legs catch his attention. A large robot that looked like it was built for loading the subs comes crashing towards us. Serah fires an arrow at the machine, but the arrow just bounces off it's hardened body.

"Look out!" I scream, pushing the young pinkette out of the way.

I push Serah from the deadly grip of the robot's long arms, sacrificing myself in the process. It grips my ankle tightly and lifts me off the ground with ease. I struggle trying to free myself, whilst dangling upside down, but after a few seconds, I'm spun around like a rag doll and released, sending me shooting towards the side of the red submarine. I find my bolt materia and sink it into my arm as I roll in the air and kick off the red submarine's hull, firing myself like a missile back at the robot. Electricity arcs off my fist as I deliver a punch to the array of sensors at the back of it's head, staggering the robot. The crane armed machine spasms and twitches, until Cloud fires a beam of blue light from his sword, shattering it into hundreds of smoking pieces.

"Damn! The submarine!" Cloud shouts as the red sub begins to dive.

"What should we d- Serah!? Where are you going?!" I shout, as the pinkette rushes off through the docks.

"Just like her sister.." Cloud huffs, chasing after her.

Serah slides across her knees, firing an arrow into one of the many guards that stood between her and the next submarine, before stopping behind a wooden crate. We're still running towards her as she nocks another arrow and removes herself from cover once more. She seemed to be an incredible fighter, unlike what her sister had told us. The way Light talked about her lead me to believe she would be timid and quiet, but that couldn't be further from the truth.

"What are you doing?!" Cloud asks, still trying to work out what was going on through the pinkette's mind.

"We're going to take that Sub." She answers, matter of factly.

I see Cloud's mind weighing up her words before finally speaking.

"We're so far under the sea, we'll never be able to call the others. I guess it's the only way." He answers.

The three of us cut, shoot, and punch our way though to the sub, and the blonde is the first to board. I run down the concrete dock towards the ramp leading to the sub, when something catches my eye on the ground. I pick it up, thinking it was materia by the way it shone like a crystal, but it was shaped like a large scale.

"Tifa!" Cloud roars, bringing me back to reality.

"Coming!" I reply, racing up the side of the sub and through the opening at the top.

I screw the door shut with the round, yellow handle and leap down the ladder, into the innards of the sub. Serah and Cloud have their weapons drawn, pointing towards two Shinra infantrymen, and I have my fists up, glaring at another who approaches from their back.

"You want the sub? Just try an' take it!" The commanding officer shouts.

"Umm.. Sir. Maybe we shouldn't piss them off.." One of the men suggest.

"Yeah, I don't want to die." The other says.

"We've beaten every soldier from Junon to this sub. This is your one chance to surrender." Cloud offers.

The two men in front of Cloud and Serah look at each other briefly, before finally lowering their weapons and handcuffing themselves. The commanding officer scowls at the other two men, but her too reluctantly drops his weapon and cuffs himself. I lead them into the other side of the sub and lock them in a small room. When I return, I find Cloud in the driver's seat, quickly trying to figure out the controls.

"Cloud, there's a manual here." I say, holding up a thick book that was in a metal case above the controls.

"I'm a man. I don't read instruction manuals." He laughs, pressing buttons and pulling on levers.

The sub dives and lurches forward, and after a few seconds, we'd left the sanctity of the underwater reactor. Lights flash and alarms beep as Cloud gets more accustomed to the controls. He turns on the radar, which makes a 'ping' sound every few seconds, eventually finding the red Shinra sub.

"Tifa, you think you can fire the torpedoes if I can get a shot lined up?" The blonde asks.

"I can certainly try." I smile, searching for the weapon controls.

"Oh! I see it!" Serah gasps, pointing at the screen at a bright flashing beacon in the distance.

"Distance: four hundred meters. We need to be within two-fifty. Hold on."

"Almost... Almost... Firing!" I shout when the targeting system locks on to the enemy craft.

"We did it!" We all cheer.

 **Cid's POV**

"Captain! We have a call incoming!" My navigator shouts.

"Then answer the damn thing then!" I bark.

" _Cid! This is Cloud. Get everyone back to the Highwind."_

"What about you guys?" I ask.

" _We've secured the huge materia. We've got a sub and have just surfaced. I'm gonna find somewhere safe to park this thing near Costa Del Sol. Might come in handy. Meet us there."_

"You got it! I'll have a cold one waiting for you. Cya there."

The others stroll back after a twenty minute wait, and I don't wait for them to get comfy to set off to the sandy shores of the next continent. I spot the sub a mile off the coast as I cross the ocean, parking up my baby just outside the resort town's walls.

"Everyone to the bar! Drinks are on Barret!" I bark.

"Yeah!- Wait, what?" He agrees, before finally realizing what I had said.

 **A/N: Don't know why, but I didn't get on with this chapter at all. I hope its still up to standard. Thanks for the advice. I actually looked at it when I wrote 'haha' and thought about it, but I was in a rush and left it in. Adding it like you said is a better way though so that's what's gonna happen from now on. There's not too much to go before it's ended. If you where playing the game and did all the leveling and exploring it would be, but there's not much more until we're kicking Sephiroth's ass. As for Light.. Her location is currently classified, as it's key part of the story which will make sense when it's explained. Serah is now basically the Aeris of the group now, although she's trying to be a bit of a badass to prove herself to the others atm. Next chapter should be really fun to write as it has heaps of Cid :D**

 **For those of you who aren't too familiar with weapons. Serah's bow is heavily based off a real bow. Have a look on google images for something called 'PSE stinger x stiletto'**


	56. Rocket Man Part II

**Serah's POV**

Cloud opens up the hatch of the submarine, allowing the warm sun to beam down into the hull. He leads the captured crew outside and releases them, but not before warning them of what would happen if they were to meet again. Tifa is the last out, handing me our recently acquired treasure as she closes the hatch of the sub. The three of us walk into the sandy town, basking in the sun that beats down on us. I can't help but smile when we can hear Cid and Barret's boisterous conversation before we even set foot in the bar.

"Am tellin ya! She was checkin' me out!" Cid states defensively.

"She had a lazy eye!" Barret fires back. "Nobody can see your face with all that smoke pourin' out of it!"

"I wasn't looking at her eyes! Did you see the size of her- Hey, numbskull! Grab a seat!" Cid adds when he notices us walk through the door.

Ever the gentleman, Vincent pulls out a chair for me to sit on without saying a word, and Tifa sits across the table from me after placing the glowing crystal rock on the table for the group to ogle over. The mysterious man takes the huge materia and hides it under is cloak as his crimson eyes scan the room.

"It would be foolish to draw any more attention to ourselves.." He states, justifying his actions.

"I guess your right." I agree, hoping to try to spark up any form of conversation with the near silent man, to no avail.

"Cloud?" Tifa says, looking over to the blonde, who's at the stairs with a set of keys.

"Gonna have an early night." He answers quickly before vanishing.

"Okay.. Night." She smiles weakly.

"Tifa, you worry too much." Cid tells her, taking a swig of his beer.

"He's thinking of my sister.." I speak, earning the attention of the group. "He did this a lot when we were on my world."

"So what exactly happened to Light?" Cid says, the only one brave enough to ask.

"I'm not sure exactly. I just know that she turned to crystal. Cloud fought and fought but by the time he got to her, the process had started.. I thought she'd be here though. I thought we all went through to this place." I tell him.

"He looks truly lost." Nanaki says. "When this is over, I will help him search for her."

"Damn right!" Barret agrees.

"Tell me of this Caius and his connection with the thing you call Chaos." Vincent says out of the blue, taking us all by surprise.

"Sure.. Erm.. Yeul was the first human on our planet. She was given a terrible gift. She could see the future, but at the cost of her own life. She never lived past seventeen." I begin. "Caius was her guardian. A normal man who was given the gift of immortality by the Goddess Etro when he offered up his life to save Yeul. He's lived for hundreds of years, plotting a way to free Yeul of her curse. He can control the Chaos and use it to manipulate time."

"Cloud killed him though, right?" Yuffie asks.

"Kind of.. He killed Caius, but when he brought me to Valhalla, Caius was alive again. He said something about the Chaos refusing to let him die."

"I see.." The red cloaked man says, also retreating to the sanctity of the room.

"He doesn't like me, does he?" I sigh.

"Actually, I think he prefers you over the rest of us." Barret laughs. "It's just the way he is."

"I HAVE NEWS!" Cait Sith screams as he bounces in the bar, making everyone stare at him.

Nanaki glares at the stuffed Moogle, silently summoning him closer with his single, yellow eye. The cyborg cat tells us that Shinra had just loaded a piece of huge materia onto one of their 'Glenika' aircraft and were currently flying it to a place called Rocket town. Cid spits his beer across the table at the mention of it, and slams the almost empty glass on the table.

"If they think they're usin' my fuckin' rocket they've got another thing comin'!" He barks. "When's the launch!?"

"Tomorrow 1700 hours." Cait Sith answers.

"I'll be getting your lazy asses up at six AM! Make sure you're ready!" The pilot orders as he gets up and storms off, muttering angrily. "..Gonna shove my spear so far up Rufus' smug ass.."

"If that rocket takes off without Cid, we'll never hear the end of it." Nanaki sighs.

"Why?" I wonder.

"Cid was supposed to be the first man in space. It's a long story but basically he didn't end up in space. It was his dream." Tifa explains.

"I see.." I reply. "Maybe we should get some sleep then."

The group agrees, and they all finish off their drinks and head up to bed. I throw myself in the most comfortable bed I'd ever been in, but it was a struggle to finally drift off. I dream of my sister, and of Snow. Would I ever see them again? I'm scared of what the answer might be, but I know Cloud will never give up the search. I'm eventually woken by Cid, who's shouting at the top of his lungs.

"Up! Up you lazy dogs!" He growls. "I've got a president to impale!"

"We're comin'!" Barret huffs, sitting up in bed, wearing.. is that a sailor's suit?

We all get ready quickly, and with handfuls of toast and fruit from the bar below, we make our way to the Highwind. Once again, I stand inches from the glass, looking down at the planet below as I finish my breakfast. The heat is magnified by the glass, and the black armoured suit that I hadn't removed since I got here felt like it was slowly cooking me in this heat. I undo the zip expecting to find the white and pink dress I had woken up to after my dream of Valhalla, but instead, I find my white shirt and pleated red skirt. Thinking little of it, I take my armour to the briefing room to store, only to find Cloud sat on the table with my bow in his hands.

"What'ya doin?" I ask with a smile.

"Upgrading." He answers, pointing to the limbs of my bow, which now have blades attached to them. "Should help in tight spaces."

"Hey, are you okay?" I ask, changing the subject.

"I will be when this is all over.." He answers with a forced smile. "Come on. We must be close."

With nothing else to say, Cloud leaves the table he was perched on, and the two of us return back to the bridge, where the rest of the team were waiting. They all look to Cloud for guidance, but the blonde turns to Cid, silently giving him command over the day's proceedings.

"Alright! Listen up! That son of a bitch Shinra ain't touchin' my rocket. We need to get up there quickly and stop whatever it is they're trying to do!" Cid commands.

"Who's goin' with ya on this grand adventure?" Barret asks with his arms folded.

"Not you. You're big ass won't fit in my rocket." The pilot barks, earning himself a brief laugh from the others, and even a grin from Barret. "Cloud and Pinky can come. They seem to be joined at the hip."

I blush at his statement, but give the man a confident nod. I was grateful that he was willing to put his trust in me after such a short period. Knowing I was about to be fighting their enemy, I check my equipment, pulling the string back on my bow and looking down the pin sight. I hold it there briefly, listening for anything untoward when I notice the rocket through the windows of the bridge. It leaned away from it's launch pad and looked thoroughly ancient. Although I'd never tell him, having his dream of space taken from him might have been the safest thing.

Cid leaves the ship in the capable hands of his crew, and the three of us climb down the ropes to the town below. I can only imagine the devastation the blast from the rocket engine would make on the town; that's if it took off at all. This world seemed to be a few hundred years behind in technology, but even without the rust and mold growing on it's dull green body, I wouldn't want to be the first to pilot the rocket. We proceed through the houses with our weapons at the ready, but we meet no resistance until we're at the foot of the spacecraft.

"Don't let them get any further! Everyone, ATTACK!" An officer in his blood red suit shouts to his soldiers, the second they come into view.

They all open fire on us from the base of the rocket, and the three of us use the only cover available to us. The trees.

"Cid! Get in that rocket! We'll cover you!" Cloud orders. "Ready?" He adds, looking at me.

I give the blonde a determined nod, and the two of us break from the trees and charge forward. The soldiers must be aware of who Cloud was, because they flinch when he rushes towards them, and that hesitation results in them getting shocked by his magic. I manage to hit two grunts. One in the leg and one in the shoulder as I make my way towards the ladder that Cid had already climbed.

"Up the ladder." Cloud orders. "Er, actually, I'll go first." He blushes, pointing to my skirt.

"Such a gent." I laugh, watching him bolt up the ladder. Perhaps jeans would be more sensible.

He reaches the top in seconds and offers his hand to me, which I gladly accept. A bald man in a dark suit has his fists held high, blocking Cid's path; and the platform to the rocket is too narrow for two people to stand side by side. Me and the blonde stand back in order to avoid the long reach of the pilot's spear, and watch on, ready to intervene if needs be. The man in the expensive suit and dark sunglasses hurls himself forward, throwing a punch at Cid, but the pilot sidesteps him gracefully and slaps him on the back of the head with the wooden pole of his spear.

"Cloud, if you would be so kind." Cid asks in a sickeningly polite tone.

"With pleasure." The blonde grins wickedly, kicking the hunched over man gently on the behind, knocking him over the railing.

"I don't know why those idiots bother." Cid huffs.

Cid heads inside to find a crew of mechanics all working tirelessly to get the rocket ready in the short timescale they were given. I expected them all to turn around and fight like the rest of the Shinra seemed to do, but they all look at the cigarette smoking pilot with welcoming smiles.

"Hey! What the hell're you guys doin'?!" Cid barks at them.

"Hey! Just when I thought somethin' was goin' on, you come back!" The head mechanic grins.

"Listen, Captain. We're gonna launch this rocket!" The other mechanic cheers.

"Huh? What are you talkin' bout?" Cid frowns.

"We're gonna load up a materia bomb in this and blow up meteor."

"Our rocket's gonna save the planet!" The head mechanic continues.

"Wait a minute!" Cloud interrupts.

"Shut up! Just all shut the hell up!" Cid shouts. "How's the rocket?"

"It's pretty much okay. We planned to run it into the meteor using the auto pilot, but the most important device is broken."

"Broken? How's the repair going?" The pilot continues to probe.

"Shera's doing it.." The mechanic says sheepishly, diverting his gaze.

"Oh great! What a bunch of wizards you guys are! She's gonna take a hundred years!" The pilot sighs. "I'll take over, don't worry about the auto pilot. Now go! Tell everyone!"

"Alright, Captain! Good luck!" They all nod.

All of a sudden, the rusted rocket falls silent. Cid has a proud smile on his face as he checks the instruments, but Cloud's glaring at him in disbelief. I look at the blonde and shrug, unsure what we should do, and Cloud must feel the same, because he opens his mouth three time to speak before finally deciding how he was going to approach the situation.

"Cid! What're you doing?!" He asks with an angered tone. "There's generations of knowledge and wisdom inside the materia! We're gonna borrow their powers and save the planet from Sephiroth. There's no way we can loose that huge materia. You understand that, right?"

"Yeah, I understand." Cid lowers his head. "I understand that materia is precious, and I also understand what you're thinking." He continues. "But listen. I don't give a rat's ass whether it's science or magical power. No, I guess if I had to choose, I'd rather put my money of the power of science. Humans only used to walk around on the ground, but now they can fly! And finally, we're about to go into outer space. Science is a power that's created and developed by humans. And science just might be what saves this planet.

"Cid.." I say softly, touched by his words.

"I was able to earn my living, thanks to science. So to me, there's nothing greater. Now quit your worrying about what Shinra's gonna do. I don't want to regret not having done something later."

"But, Cid-" Cloud tries to interrupt.

"I don't wanna hear it!" Cid roars. "Anyone who ain't involved, get the hell outta here!"

Cloud looks like he's about to punch the pilot, but we're all stopped by the rocket, that starts to rumble under our feet. I turn to look down the small corridor, only to find the door had been sealed shut. After everything I've done; everything I've seen, I was going to die in this ancient missile.

"What the hell?" Cid frowns, looking around.

"Cid, turn the damn thing off!" Cloud orders.

"I'm trying, I'm trying!" The pilot replies, quickly flicking switches and pressing buttons. "I'm locked out! The one time Shera works quickly! Typical!"

I close my eyes and find myself blindly hunting for the blonde's hand. I find it and hold it tightly, but I find little comfort. I don't think I'd ever be as afraid as I was now. The whole rocket shakes violently, and I feel the force of thousands of liters of burning fuel propelling us up with incredible force. Opening my eyes after a few seconds, happy that if the giant pipe bomb hadn't exploded already, it wasn't going to, I find Cloud's mako coloured eyes staring back at me.

"You alright?" He asks.

"I'm used to mana drive powered ships." I answer. "Safe, smooth, doesn't make your insides do somersaults, safe.."

"You said safe already." The blonde laughs. "Cid, what's the situation looking like?"

"Grim. We're on a collision course with meteor." He answers.

"Can't we do something?" I ask. "Change the course at least?"

"Not a damn thing." The pilot replies bluntly.

"...This is the end.." Cloud sighs, giving me an apologetic look.

"Huh? What the hell're you saying? You're still young, don't give up so easily." Cid grins. "I'm not about to crash into meteor. There's an escape pod in the rocket."

"What about the huge materia?" I wonder.

"Do whatever the hell you want with it. It should be up that ladder over there." He tells us.

"But you said-" I begin.

"I guess all I really wanted was to go into outer space.." He sighs. "Let's get that materia and get out of here."

Cloud places a hand on the pilot's shoulder, before turning to the ladder. We follow him up, inside a room that seemed to be constructed entirely of pipe work. The pipes ran down the walls, across the floor and up again in the center, acting as a cage around the Huge materia. A small glass access door seemed to be the only way to get the materia out, and it was guarded by an access code none of us knew. As the three of us gather around the sealed away materia, I point to a small sticker on one of the many pipes.

"Liquid oxygen. We can't risk trying to break the materia out." I explain.

"Don't suppose you know the code for this, Cid?" Cloud asks hopefully.

"Not a damn clue." He sighs. "Looks like it's a 4 digit code."

We all stare at the keypad, hoping for some sort of premonition. It could be rigged to explode if we got it wrong, so none of us rush to press any buttons. I look through the glass at the materia, which glows with a bright green hue. I'm about to look away when a notice something from my childhood etched into the glass. I look down at the keypad and smile to myself, before pushing in between the two men to type in a code. Before my fingers can touch the keypad, the blonde's hand grips mine gently.

"You know the code?" He asks.

"I've got a pretty good guess.." I say sheepishly.

"We ain't got long before we're dead anyway. Let the girl give it a go." Cid tells him.

Cloud gives me a nod and releases my hand. I take a deep breath and type in the code 6,4,2,2. To everyone's relief, the glass door swings open with a high pitched beep, and we can all exhale heavily. I turn to the others, but the blonde lets me do the honors, so I stick my hand inside and take the materia.

"How the hell did you know the code?" Cid asks.

"Video games." I answer with a grin, knowing I'd lost the pair.

"Elaborate." Cloud frowns. I can almost see him itching to know.

"There's some shapes etched on the glass in the corner. Circle, Square, X, X. Reminded me of the controller of my old game's console. Lightning bought me one with her first pay check from the Guardian corps." I explain. "X was at the bottom where the number 2 would be.. Circle was where the 6 is.. Square was where the 4 is.. and there was a triangle where number 8 is."

"So let me get this straight.. You risked blowing us all up because you saw some scratches in a glass that resembled the shapes on your alien gameboy?" Cid asks.

"...It was called a Playstation actually..." I mutter.

"...I like your style." He grins. "Now if it's all the same to you two, shift ya ass'. I have no intention of dyin' today."

We both follow Cid back down the ladder and through the corridor that once lead us back outside. At the end was another ladder that lowered us further into the bowels of the rocket. Cid goes first, followed by Cloud, who just jumps down the hole. I begin to climb down, making sure I didn't catch the strings of my bow on anything as I descended. The second my foot touches the floor below, a large explosion shakes the small corridor. I hold onto the ladder and close my eyes, as I wave of heat blows over me and up the shaft.

"Cid!" I hear the blonde shout.

I let go of the ladder and turn around to find Cloud trying to pull a mangled piece of white metal that covered Cid like a blanket. Rushing over, I stand by the blonde and summon all the strength I could muster, but it wasn't enough.

"Don't worry about me. Hurry up and go! If you don't hurry the rocket's gonna crash into meteor." Cid tells us.

"I won't go without my friend." Cloud struggles as he keeps trying to lift up the exploded tank.

"You fuckin' idiot! No time to be worrying about other people!" Cid shouts at us.

"I'm gonna do whatever I can.." The blonde days, ignoring his angry rants.

"..Tank number 8 blew.. So tank number 8 really was malfunctioning.." The pilot mutters to himself. "Shera.. You were right.. This is the end for me."

"Don't say that, Cid." I woman's voice says from behind, scaring us all to death.

"SHERA?!" Cid says in disbelief as I examine the brunette engineer, who was sporting a dirty, white lab coat.

"I tagged along. I'm coming to help you." The woman says without a care in the world.

With the three of us lifting, we manage to take enough pressure off for Cid to pull his legs free. The four of us hand no time for introductions. It was unsettling to no be able to see where we were going, but we all knew we didn't have long to go. The three of us follow Shera to the end of the corridor and into a small, pod that had two bench seats and a circular viewing window. We're all ushered inside, and Cid seals the door and presses the emergency release button, which fires the pod out of the rocket.

Although we were still far from what could be described as safe, I felt relaxed as I gazed out of the window into the dark expanse of space. I tell myself that one of the glittering stars in the distance had my planet circling it, waiting patiently for my return. The pod slowly spins, and we get a look at the planet below. From here, it looked no bigger than the materia in my pocket, but millions of people looked up from it, praying for the destruction of the glowing red rock that threatened their existence.

 **Barret's POV**

"We're detecting something entering the atmosphere!" One of Cid's crew shout as he monitors his station.

"Well is it them!?" I bark.

"I'm not sure." He answers. "It's current trajectory says it will land just off the coast of Wutai."

"Pilot, take the ship to Wutai." Nanaki orders. "If it is them, they may need assistance."

We start to cross the ocean towards Wutai but after a few minutes, we see something shoot over the Highwind like a cannon ball and continue towards the twerp's home as it slowly looses altitude. Just as it's about to disappear from view, it slows down dramatically, and three parachutes burst from the back of it. The highwind soon catches up, just as the pod touches down on the ocean.

"Get above it!" I Bark. "You lot, with me!"

We all run to the rear deck and throw the ropes down. All of us stay on the deck, ready to pull them up, apart from Yuffie, who repels down to the floating metal pod.

"The kid must be able to smell the materia." I laugh to myself.

We all watch as Yuffie yanks open the hatch, only to loose her balance and end up in the water. Even from up here, I could hear her spouting language that would make even Cid blush, but at least this time she could swim. Spiky is the first to emerge from the pod, and he pulls Yuffie out of the water as he holds the rope with the other hand. Me and Vincent get ready on the ropes, while Tifa keeps her head over the edge, coordinating their rescue. Working as a team, we soon pull up spiky, pinky, Cid; and to all of our surprise, Shera, leaving only Yuffie behind.

"She only needs to swim a few miles to Wutai." I joke.

"Barret, pull her up. She'll be the last thing you ever see if you leave her there." Nanaki tells me. "Are you all okay?"

Before they could answer, a blinding light fills the sky, washing everything out. We all cover our eyes and wait for the light to die down.

 **A/N: another one done. I think Caius has ruined this story. It all seems boring without a bit of Caius lol. There's only another 1 or 2 chapters to go though and we're venturing into the northern crater. I have missed writing Cid, he's such a cool character. Hope you liked how I handled the rocket materia code. I was just gonna have Cloud find the code in Rude's pocket, but that was a little boring lol.**

 **Question time: The battle with Sephiroth. Do we want to go through the transformations, where they fight the alien/ god looking versions, or do we want to fight Human(ish) Sephiroth? Doing it like the game will make the fight longer, but there won't be much dialog as he doesn't talk during the fight, or do we want it like Advent children? The choice is yours.**

 **Any of you see the FFXV: Kingsglave trailer? Looked awesome. Hoping for some ff7R news at some point before E3 ends, but I'm ready to be disappointed.**


	57. The Sister Ray

**Cloud's POV**

"It didn't work.." Nanaki states, looking at the meteor, which still lurked ominously in the sky.

"Damn it! I was kinda hoping that would have worked." Barret sighs.

"We've been botherin' them as much as we can.." Cait Sith begins. "Wonder if we've been wrong all this time?"

"Make's you worry, doesn't it?" Nanaki sighs.

"Don't worry. Think!" Tifa shouts, addressing the room.

"The lady's right!" Cid agrees.

"You pretty damn optimistic! You up to somethin'?" Barret asks him.

"Yeah, I've been thinking about this and that. All the time we been up here lookin' at the planet. I've been thinking even when we were floatin' in the ocean in that escape pod." The pilot says.

"I've... Been thinking, too." I begin, finally turning from the glass of the Highwind. "About the universe.. planet.. ocean.. How wide and big.." I continue. "No matter where I go and what I do, it won't change a thing."

"Maybe you're right." Cid tells me as I wait for the 'but'. "But I came up with something different. I always thought the planet was so huge. But lookin' at it from space, I realized it's so small. We're just floatin' in the dark.. Kinda makes you feel powerless. On top of all that, it's got Sephiroth festerin' inside it like a sickness." He continues, holding the attention of us all. "That's why I say this planet's still a kid. A little kid, sick and trembling in the middle of this huge universe. Someones gotta protect it. Ya follow me? That someone is us."

"Cid.. That's beautiful." Serah says with a soft tone.

"Ya even got to me!" Barret tells him. "So now what? How're we gonna protect the planet?"

"Am still thinkin' about that." He answers sheepishly, taking a seat on the metal floor.

The group lets out a mass of sigh's and groans, disappointed that the pilot didn't have an answer to our problem after his moving speech. A moment of silence fills the bridge of the ship, before a cry that sounded like high pitched thunder breaks it.

"Maybe it's the planet's scream." Tifa suggests.

"The planet screams?" Serah asks, looking confused.

"We should go see grandpa! He'll know!" Nanaki says excitedly.

"Cosmo Canyon it is!" Cid shouts, jumping to his feet and barging his co-pilot out of the way to take control of his airship.

The usually calm and reserved Nanaki gets more and more fidgety with every minute that passes. Although the man was not actually his grandfather, Nanaki looked up to him with the greatest of respect, and it wasn't hard to see why. Bugenhagen was the most intelligent man I had ever met, and that knowledge had rubbed off on my red furred friend. Eventually, the deep red, sandstone canyon came into view on the horizon, and Nanaki starts to pace up and down the bridge.

"You'll wear a hole in my ship! Keep your furry ass still!" Cid barks.

"Fang and Vanille would have liked it here.." I hear Serah mutter to herself.

"You miss your friends?" I ask, only now appreciating that Serah was all alone in a strange new world, just like I was on hers.

"Yeah, but it's okay." She smiles. "I'll see them again one day."

"How can you be so optimistic?" I ask, envious of her nature. She reminded me of Aeris..

"I guess I had to. My sister was just like you." The pinkette answers.

"A realist?" I ask.

"Moody and doubtful." Serah teases. "Without hope, what's the point?"

"I guess you're right." I smile at her. "Let's go, before Nanaki jumps overboard."

Cid leaves his crew in charge of the Highwind, and our now slightly larger group heads up the stairs that lead to Cosmo Canyon. Nanaki takes the lead, now walking with strength and dignity, unlike his puppy like attitude just moments ago. My eyes venture up to the top of the Canyon, where I remember sitting with Claire. Even now, I remember the look in her eyes.. the smell of her hair.. My eyes stay fixed on the spot as I walk, desperate to cling onto a happy memory, but I feel a tightening in my chest, causing me to wince. It lasts less than a second, but when I open my eyes again, I see a Large, grey wolf stood atop the Canyon.

"You okay?" Tifa asks, placing a hand on my shoulder.

"Yeah." I nod, taking my eyes off the animal. "Vincent, did you get the huge materia?" I look back and ask, quickly changing the subject.

Vincent says nothing, but holds up a large, metal flight case. The chances of danger here were slim, but his other hand always rests on the grip of his pistol, and his crimson eyes are always scanning. The city guard steps aside to let us pass, smiling and nodding to us all as we pass. I see his eyes examine Serah, and I can see him mentally trying to figure out why the pink haired woman looked different from the first time, but he says nothing. We continue our climb up to Bugenhagen's observatory home, and the man welcomes us all in with a happy grin.

"Ho ho hooo! Welcome back! In need of some wisdom from an old man?" He asks.

"Yeah, that's why we came." I tell him.

"Have you lost your way? When that happens, we each need to take a good long look at ourselves." He tells us. "There's always something in the deepest reaches of our hearts. Something buried. Something forgotten."

"Claire.. Aeris.." I mutter. "No.. I hadn't forgotten. I'll never forget."

"Can we go on without them?" Yuffie wonders aloud.

"Aeris told me only she could stop Sephiroth.." I mutter, not wanting to accept it.

"An' Light always found a way, despite our shitty odds.." Barret adds, earning a warm smile from Serah.

"Is it really impossible for us to carry on what Aeris started?" Nanaki asks the group.

"We ain't no ancient's if that's what you mean." Barret tells him.

"Why did Aeris go alone and face him without running away?" Serah asks, causing all of us to look at her. "I mean.. She went alone to face someone bad. She must have known something that you all didn't."

"Ho ho Hoo! Might you be related to Lightning?" Bugenhagen asks, noticing Serah for the first time. "She always had the right answer too."

"She was my sister." She answers, stepping forward.

"Your sister is a remarkable woman, ho ho! Cute too!"

"Grandpa.." Nanaki sighs.

"I think you should take me to the ancient city. Perhaps my old eyes can see something yours have missed." Bugenhagen asks.

"Then it's settled. But I have one more request. We've got this huge materia. We want to keep it in a safe place." I tell him.

"Let's put it upstairs." He smiles. "The lift will only hold three." He adds.

Serah hadn't taken her eyes off the roof since we had gotten here, and Vincent was already holding the materia, so I sent the others out to wait for us. Bugenhagen sends the platform up as the lights dim, and the four of us are now stood in a real time model of the solar system. It always fascinated me this device, and even Vincent looks around with admiring eyes. I take the flight case from the former Turk, and rest it on my knee as I open it. The four glowing rocks seemed to ooze with power; a power that had to be kept safe. Taking them out one by one, I place them on shelves that run along the domed roof. As I place the final one down, it begins to glow brightly, before a liquid starts to 'sweat' out of it. Cupping my hands, I catch the liquid, which solidifies as soon as it touches my skin, leaving behind a ruby orb.

"A summon materia?" Vincent asks, silently lurking over my shoulder.

"Seems like it." I answer. "Serah, are you okay?"

"Yeah." She says absentmindedly, staring at the projection of the meteor, that looms over the planet.

"It is time we left." Vincent tells us.

With everyone back on board the Highwind, we set off to the Ancient city.

 **Serah's POV**

While I'd come to accept that Cloud wasn't the talkative type, his silence for the entire flight was concerning. I never knew the friend he had lost, but when inside his memories, I saw what happened. To think my sister had a hand in it weighed heavy on my heart, even though everyone has told me she wasn't to blame. This planet seemed very diverse; with every place I'd seen looking the complete opposite to the last, but the ancient city was like another world entirely. It was surrounded by icy glaciers and sharp mountains, but what stood out the most was the crater behind it.

"..Don't get comfy down there." Cloud says, just louder than a whisper as he looks at the giant crater.

"We're here." Cid says with an unusually soft tone. "Mind the ship. Gonna go pay my respects." He adds to his co-pilot before walking off the bridge, leaving only the crew and Cait Sith behind.

The respect they had for their fallen friend was heartwarming, but sad. Even Cid and Barret had stopped their constant arguing, which I had come to enjoy. Tifa's usually upbeat attitude turned to silence, just like the blonde, and Yuffie's constant talk about materia ceased. I follow the others off the Airship, talking in the strange environment with every step. The tree's where a brilliant white colour, and seemed to glow faintly. The rest of the bushes; if you could call them that, resembled a coral reef more than anything you'd usually see growing on land.

"Ho ho this place really is something else." Bugenhagen says, breaking the silence. "Let's try this way."

Nanaki's pseudo grandfather leads us down the left fork in a bumpy and winding path, past an ancient building and into a large cavern. Ruins of a coliseum like structure lined the walls, but over time, large chunks of the cave had collapsed, blocking some of it off. In the center of the cavern was a small platform with what looked like a huge lump of materia sat on top of a red coral 'tree'. The thin pillar the platform was stood on drops down into a pool of perfectly still water, that shimmers with light that poured in from the sky above.

"It's so pretty." I say, following Nanaki around to the large crystal.

"The knowledge of the ancients swirling around here is telling me one thing." Bugenhagen says. "The planet's in a crisis.. A crisis beyond human power or endless time. It says when the time comes, we must search for 'holy'."

We all wonder what he meant by searching for Holy, but my eyes catch Cloud burying his face in his hands.

"What's Holy?" I ask.

"Holy is the ultimate white magic. Perhaps our last chance at stopping Meteor." The wise old man answers. "If a soul seeking Holy reaches the planet, it will appear. Meteor, weapon, everything will disappear.. Perhaps even ourselves."

"Even people?!" I gasp.

"It's up to the planet to decide." Bugenhagen explains.

"Grandpa, how do we do it?" Nanaki asks him.

"Get the white materia. It will bond humans to the planet. If our wish reaches the planet, the white materia will begin to glow a pale green."

"...This is the end." Cloud sighs. "The materia is gone."

"What ya mean, it's gone?" Barret asks.

"I.. I used it." He answers.

"How the hell did you use it already? Does that mean we safe?" The dark skinned man continues.

"I.. Woke up with it when I was in Serah's world. I saw Aeris.. Maybe it was just a dream, but she told me that the white materia had the power to bring people back to life." Cloud begins.

What he had done suddenly hits me, and my mind starts to race. He'd brought me back to life at the expense of his own planet. I drop down to my knees, weighed down by the guilt of being alive. I feel all of their eyes on me, staring with confusion. If I could give the materia back to the group; even at the cost of my own life, I'd do it in a heartbeat.

"Why do I get the feelin' that you fucked up again?" Barret continues to press.

"I used the materia to bring Serah back.." He answers, still keeping his gaze fixed on the ground.

"... We'll just have to find another way to stop Meteor." Barret says finally. "No feelin' guilty, Pinky. I'd throw you all under the bus to save my baby girl. Just what we do for the people we care about."

"Ho ho hooo! Quite right!" Bugenhagen "Ho ho! Look at this! Ancient's writing!"

"Can you read it, grandpa?" Nanaki asks, looking over the writing that surrounded the base of the crystal.

"Not a word!" He laughs, causing us all to sigh.

"I can." I say, causing all of them to look at me. "It looks like old Pulse writing. I know bits."

"Serah, could you read it for us?" Cloud asks me.

"I'll try." I nod, kneeling down and brushing the dirt off the writing. _"A tree of mythril thorns that composes a tune, will show the user if their future is doomed. A vision in water is what it will show, telling the user what they wish to know."_

"Ain't no tree's in here, and the only water is down there." Cid states.

"Not sure about the water, but that spiky thing over there is made of mythril." Yuffie says, pointing to a platform below us.

"An how the hell do you know that's mythril?" Cid asks the young girl.

"Mithril doesn't rust and is a faint blue colour, just like that thing. We used to make our weapons out of it." Yuffie answers with an annoyed tone.

"Wait here. I'll have a look." Bugenhagen tells us, as he floats down on his strange, green ball.

We all watch patiently, as the old man looks over the device, and eventually, he grips it with both hands and spins it. The metal spikes sticking out from the device strike a handful of thin, crystal obelisks, playing a gentle melody. The ground immediately starts to shake, and we all look down on the thin pillar that was holding us all up, mentally willing it to hold. The sound of crashing water had us all confused, because the water below remained placid.

"Look out!" Yuffie shouts, stepping closer to the crystal.

Water rushed down from above, surrounding the small platform we were stood on like a veil. Bugenhagen pushed through the curtain of water, rubbing his bald head as he reentered.

"Ho ho! It's a screen to project an image!" He says excitedly.

The crystal in the center begins to glow, projecting the image of their fallen friend on the running water. I hear the blonde take a breath and compose himself, as everyone watches my sister's blade pierce her back. I feel sick as I watch her body collapse on the floor, and mercifully, the image pans away from the gruesome scene and onto a small, pale green orb, which falls from her hair and into the water below. The image fades before generating a new one, which showed Cloud holding my lifeless body tightly on top of Sazh's ship. It was a strange thing to watch your own death, and to see the blonde hold me tightly, begging me to open my eyes hit me hard. I always knew he cared, but not like that. Knowing it was difficult for him to watch all of this, I place a hand on his shoulder as the image changes to him using the materia in Valhalla to revive me. Finally, the image that had shown our past turns to a vision of me.. No not a vision, it was a reflection of us, right now. My heart glowed with a pale green in the image and when I feel a warm sensation in my body, I look down to find a faint glow.

"It's glowing..." Cloud gasps. "Aeris... She'd already prayed for holy."

"She left us with a great hope." Nanaki says softly.

"At the cost of her life.. I'm sorry, Aeris. I should have figured this out sooner." The blonde says with a quiet tone. "I'll do the rest.." 

"That's WE!" Barret corrects him.

"The girl gave us a big chance. Shame if we didn't finish it!" Cid concurs.

"But grandpa, why isn't holy stopping meteor?" Nanaki asks.

"Him.." Cloud answers. "Only he has the power to block it."

Everyone is silent for a moment, until the sound of Cloud's phone echoed through the cave.

"Moved it? That big thing? How? Why?" The blonde asks the voice on the phone. "Okay, we'll be right there."

"Well, don't leave us all in suspense." Cid barks.

"Shinra have moved the mako cannon from Junon to Midgar. They're going to use it to destroy the barrier." Cloud answers.

"How the hell did they move that thing?" Barret asks in disbelief. "Let's just get back to the ship."

I have no idea what they're on about then they talked about the 'cannon' but it didn't sound good. I had wanted to pay my respects to the woman who died to give the world hope, but Nanaki told us we could be in danger from this cannon if it were to miss even slightly. We all head back to the Highwind, where Cid pushes his way to the controls. He spins the large wooden wheel to the right and pushes a large lever forward, causing the airship to violently ascend and bank right. Even from here I could hear Yuffie swearing between heaves. The ship stabilizes quickly, but a series of sirens and red emergency lights begin to scream and flash over the bridge.

"Large beam of energy approaching! Shinra have fired!" The co-pilot shouts.

A blinding light fills the ship, forcing us all to look away. It lasts for about ten seconds, and I can feel the heat on my face even after it fades. We all run to the airship window, quickly realizing the painful way that it was now too hot to touch, to find the shield of energy over the crater had dissipated.

"Well I'll be damned.. Rufus actually did it." Barret says with an impressed tone.

"It's time.. Take me to the crater." Cloud commands.

Cid gives him a nervous nod, and I can see the fear in everyone's eyes. Their whole mission was to stop Sephiroth, and now was the time to do it. Or so the blonde thought. Again the Highwind's sirens shriek and red strobe lights flash all over the bridge.

"What's going on?" Cloud asks.

"There's a strange signal, Sir! Something huge has come up from the sea!" The nearest crew member tells him.

"I'll get us closer. Hold on to ya drawers!" Cid barks.

Everyone lines up at the glass windows of the airship, all eager to look at what was causing havoc with the ship's radar. It takes us about five minutes to pass the snowy fields and we were just coming over the icy mountains when we saw it. Something huge heading towards the next continent.

 **A/N: Apologies for the delay, a lack of sleep has caught up with me. Want to say a big thank you to all of my reviewers. I think 11 for one chapter is a new record. And to my new reviewers, thank you for taking the time, and I've loved you're PM's and Ideas; a lot of which I will be using. Dea Lux, well spotted. I don't know why I keep typing it like that but before I post I just scroll through it all and go "No little red lines, no spelling mistakes. WIN' lol. There shall be no more scalding unless Cid has a tea making accident haha. I'm glad the Brother/ Sister vibe is coming off, that was what I was going for.**

 **Reassurance time... This is a Cloud and Light fic. It seems to have ventured off a bit longer than I'd have expected, but I promise you that it will be worth it when they finally end up back together, so bear with me. Let me know what you think. You're always welcome to give idea's on how you want the story to go in reviews and PM's, and as always.. thanks for reading.**

 **Wolf**

 **Oh, FF7R news may be in august, along with kingdom hearts and dissidia news**


	58. Father of the Year

**Cid's POV**

"Well, fuck me. You seen the size of that thing?!" I gasp as I spot the quartz coloured Weapon.

"Weapon.." Vince mutters, staring out of the window with his arms crossed.

"Cid, get me down there." The blonde idiot suggests.

"You hit your head, kid? That thing's over a hundred foot tall." I tell him.

"Barret, it's heading to Midgar. If it gets there.." Cloud says to Barret, who's going soft in his old age.

"...Cid, drop us off at the shore." Barret pleads.

"Fine! But I want it on record that this is the dumbest idea you've ever had! And you've had a few!" I bark, giving in to their requests before I have the whole ship begging.

I drop Spikey, Barret and 'Boobs' at the north shore near Midgar, and get my baby back in the air as fast as possible. Everyone was shocked that Cloud made pinky stay put; none more so than Serah herself. She stands on the edge of the bridge, with her face practically pressing against the glass. She watches nervously as the Weapon edges closer and closer, tapping her fingers on the glass.

"Better not be no fingerprints on that glass woman!" I roar, although mostly to take her mind off the worry.

"Do you think they can stop that thing?" Yuffie asks as I eye her cautiously, ready to throw a sick bucket at her.

"...It won't come to that." Vince chirps up, catching Nanaki's attention, who eyes him to continue. "Weapon is part of the planet's defensive mechanism. It is after Midgar."

"Because of the Mako cannon?" Nanaki wonders.

"One would think.."

I set the ship's stabilizers up; one because I didn't want to mop up Yuffie's vomit, but mostly because I wanted to watch what was happening below. Taking a seat on the floor, I light a cigarette, enjoying it's calming effect. I get the feeling Cloud didn't fully appreciate how big this monster was from the Highwind, but I bet he does now. He charges in with his sword as soon as the Weapon steps out of the water, and as predicted, it doesn't do a great deal.

"Cid, don't you have any weapon's on this ship?" Pinky asks, getting more and more fidgety by the second.

"Couple of rifles I liberated from some Shinra soldiers for the crew. Nothing that would do shit to that thing." I tell her.

"But we can't just sit here and do nothing!" Serah pleads.

"If you like, you can go down there and join those three idiots in doing nothin'. Only difference is we ain't getting' trampled on up here." I reply.

I gotta admit, I admire the kid's balls, but it was as clear as day that they were just three ants dancing around the foot of a mammoth. Although they are damaging it, Weapon doesn't ever stop, even when the three of them throw all the magic they have at it. Eventually, it's huge steps become something that they can't keep up with. That traitorous cat tells me Midgar are about to fire another shot, and I quickly take out my phone.

"If you've finished ticklin' it, get back here. Shinra are about to fire the cannon. You don't wanna be anywhere near Weapon when it does." I tell Cloud over the phone.

Getting the Highwind nice and low, I pick Cloud, Barret and jugs up, making sure they look at my smug face as they board. I start to steer the ship away, when the Weapon stops and fires a barrage of yellow energy blasts at Midgar. A blue beam of light fires from the Mako cannon in retaliation, piercing the giant Weapon and knocking it to the ground. I was so fixated on the downed monster, it took nearly a minute not notice the Shinra HQ building was bellowing with smoke.

"Holy shit.. You see that?!" I ask, loosening my lips enough for my cigarette to fall to the floor.

"Midgar is safe now, for the most part. Let's get back to the crater." Cloud says coldly.

"HOLD IT!" The cat practically screams.

"Yo, Cait Sith, now what?" Barret growls.

"It's Hojo! He's bypassed the reactors! He's diverting all of the power somewhere and I can't shut it off from inside." The cat explains.

"You're busted, Reeve!" Barret shouts with a smug tone, working out the stuffed toy's real identity before the rest of us.

"What's Hojo doing?" Nanaki presses.

"I'm not sure, but the reactors haven't had time to cool down. If we don't shut the reactors down soon, that power will be unleashed all at once."

"A bomb?!" Tifa gasps.

"Cid, head to Midgar." Cloud interrupts.

" _Cid, go to Midgar,_ _Cid, go to the crater.. Cid, go to Midgar..._ Will you make up your damn mind!" I bark.

"Hojo..." I hear Vince mutter, before pulling out his gun and checking it over.

"Hojo took Claire from me. Experimented on me.. Now he's trying to kill a whole city." Cloud says softly, his voice breaking slightly when he says her name.

I disappear from the bridge, and I feel confused gaze's follow me out of the door. Heading straight for the storage lockers, I pull out the stockpile of parachutes and loop them all around my arms. I heave them all to the bridge in one trip, too lazy to make another, and grin to myself when I see the horror on the squirt's face.

"Always wanted to throw you overboard, Yuffie." I laugh, throwing a parachute in her direction.

"Why can't we just land?" She protests.

"It's gonna take too long to navigate through the slums." Barret answers her.

I hand the parachutes out, and everyone puts them on hesitantly apart from Nanaki, who just looks at me for a moment, before letting out a defeated sigh. Me and Tifa fit the backpack to him, making sure he could reach the release cord with his teeth. By now, Yuffie is visibly shaking, so I decide to go over and comfort her.

"Don't worry, Yuffie. I'm sure it will open when you pull on it. Let me just check the last service date." I say softly, waiting until I was behind her to let a wide grin escape. "hmm... It's only a few years out of date. It should be fine though. The cord is a bit frayed, but it only needs to survive one swift tug.. just not too hard.."

"I don't wanna get splatted on a roof in Midgar!" She protests, practically in tears.

"Take it from me, it's not pleasant.." Cloud adds, going along with me teasing.

"Ignore him, Yuffie. Your parachute is fine.." Vincent tells her, spoiling my fun. "Shall we?"

Cloud gives us the thumbs up, and we all follow him to the rear deck of the ship. He checks Pinky's parachute, explaining to her exactly how it worked, before looking over the railings to the city below. Not even turning to tell us to go, the blonde throws himself over the edge of the Highwind.

"No countdown? Why is there never a countdown?" I ask, as the rest of us throw ourselves over the edge, apart from Yuffie; who I decided needed a helping hand.

"CIIIIIIIDDDDD!" She screams in anger as I kick her in the butt and knocking her overboard.

 **Cloud's POV**

The wind ripples through my hair as I fall, and my eyes scan the city for the best place to land. I roll over onto my back as I fall, watching as the others pull their chutes, one by one. When I see Serah's parachute deploy, causing the harsh deceleration to create a gap between us, I turn and pull my own. Taking the controls, I carefully guide myself to a wide street that ran along the train tracks. I land into a run, ripping my parachute off as soon as my feet touch the ground. I turn around to wait for the others, only for something to hit me in the face and knock me down. Still unable to see, I grip whatever had landed on me and lift it away from my face.

"Sorry!" Serah gasps, looking terrified as she quickly climbs off me.

"Don't worry about it.." I say, rubbing the back of my sore head.

"If you two are finished having a nap, maybe we should go put some holes in Hojo." Barret mocks.

"..Sounds like a plan." Vincent answers, breaking his usual silent demeanor.

"Heidegger is coming after us all. We need to go into the train tunnels." Cait Sith tells me.

I jump down onto the tracks and look in both directions. I head north, into the tunnel, instantly hoping that the train service had been suspended. We run for a few hundred meters, but I hear footsteps echoing down the damp corridor. Holding out my hand, I silently instruct the others to stop before looking down to Nanaki.

"Turks.." He tells me in a barely audible tone.

"Found you!" Elena pants as she runs into view, followed by Reno and Rude, who stroll casually behind. "Our orders are to seek out and.. Kill." She added, trying her best to sound intimidating.

"We on?" Rude asks his comrades.

"I'm not really up for it, but.." Reno answers.

"Is this the gratitude I get for saving you?" I ask Elena. "Should have let the Don have you.."

Elena has no response, and just stands their, silently weighing up her internal conflict. Reno on the other hand steps forward.

"..Let's go. We've got a president to find. No President, no Turks." Reno says. "But don't think you'll have an easy route to Hojo. Heidegger and the tart are lookin' for you." He adds, walking back off down the tunnel.

We continue to follow the tracks until we find a service shaft that leads to the surface. I go first, finding myself on the damp streets of the upper plate. The supports beams for the cannon loom overhead, casting an even darker shadow over this miserable city. I follow the cannon's barrel back towards the breach, eventually locating what could be a control station. When the rest of the group climb up, I point to our objective.

"Do you hear that?" Tifa asks as I feel the road beneath me tremor slightly.

"Something is coming." Nanaki concurs.

"What the hell is that!?" Barret shouts, pointing to a huge robot that smashed it's way through the street, damaging several of the houses as it neared.

The huge, red and Yellow robot stopped at the other end of the street from us, before an intercom system barked into life to reveal two of the most irritating laugh's in all of Midgar.

"This is as far as you go! Kya ha ha!" Scarlet shouts with her distinctive cackle. "Our anti Weapon artillery will take you down!"

"Avalanche Scum! We're in charge now! Gya ha ha!"

"Serah.. With me.." Vincent says with his emotionless tone.

"What are you doing Vincent?" I ask.

"Hojo is up ahead. Serah deserves to meet the man who has caused her so much misfortune." He answers. "I shall let no harm come to her. I promise.."

"Alright.." I concede. "Everyone go! I'll deal with Dumb and Dumber!" I roar.

Everyone but Nanaki leaves and tries to find a way up to the control station, leaving the two of us to deal with this robot. I draw my weapon and check my materia, quickly looking for my lightning and trine materia.

"You got materia?" I ask Nanaki as the robot marches towards us.

"Every one of us carries a Lightning materia.. As a sign of respect." He answers, taking me by surprise. "Tifa's idea." He adds, noting my expression.

"Use the streets to flank them. That thing's too big to get down them quickly and those two will be fighting over the controls." I tell him.

Machine gun fire bursts up the street, ripping it's way through the cobbled paths. Quickly, I stand in front of Nanaki and use my sword to deflect the bullets back onto the Shinra weapon. The amber eyed beast darts down the nearest side street and out of view, as I slowly press forward, still using the buster sword as a shield. Bits of lead and copper jacket from the incoming bullets spray the road in front of me with shrapnel, but the machine gun soon stops when the thunderous crack of Nanaki's spell echo's through Midgar. Scarlet's robot staggers back, falling into a nearby building, and I use the opportunity to vanish down an alleyway.

Even from behind all of that armour, I can hear the two Shinra executives arguing over the controls, giving me the chance to make my way through the streets and get behind it. The robot's hand quickly smashes through the house in front of it, and when the dust settles I see Nanaki held tightly in it's clawed grip. Not wanting to use my materia, just in case I shocked Nanaki in the process, I search for a weak spot, and find one. In between the weapon's arm joints ran hydraulic lines that remained unprotected by it's armour. Slashing at the back of it's knee, it falls low enough for me to climb onto it's arm and cut the lines with Claire's Knife.

A vile smelling oil pours down it's metallic frame, causing my grip of it's limb to fail me, and I fall down to the damp street. Rolling out of the fall, I find Nanaki wriggling free of it's now useless limb. The robot turns on it's heel, while spraying bullets with it's wrist mounted machine gun, and I've no time to block it with my sword. Two bullets rip though my leg, but they pass straight through. It hurt like hell, but knowing I'd not have to dig mangled copper out of my leg was a silver lining. My thoughts turned to Serah, and I worried about her encounter with Hojo. I needed to end this now.

"Nanaki! Get ready to run!" I shout as I slot a ruby coloured orb into my sword.

Holding my blade up high, a bolt of deep blue lightning strikes it from the darkened sky.

"Time to go!" I shout, as me and Nanaki sprint away from Scarlet and Heidegger's weapon.

"What's going on?!" He asks me as we run.

I don't answer, but instead point to a nearby roof, where Ramuh stood. Arcs of electricity erupt from his staff, striking the steel supports for the cannon, before all the energy was drawn back into his staff. An eerie silence take over briefly, and I feel the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. I see the flash first; then I feel the heat on my back, and then finally the ear splitting crack. I didn't need to look back to know that they were both dead.

The pair of us run through the streets, following the sound of gunfire, until my eyes finally see Vincent taking out the last of the Shinra soldiers with sniper like precision. The control station; and Hojo, where right above us, and only a set of temporary stairs separated us. When my eyes finally drop down to the group, I notice where I am. Just past this town square was where I met Aeris for the first time..

"Look what I found." Barret grins, holding up a new gun attachment. "Got some kick to it."

"Serah, Vincent, come with me. Everyone else, make sure nobody comes up those steps." I order.

They all give a reluctant nod; all wanting a piece of the mad scientist themselves, but it had to be us. I lead the way, drawing my sword as soon as I get to the first step, and begin the long climb to the top. Hojo's wicked laugh echos through the steelwork, getting louder and louder with every step. He must know I'm coming, but I don't see the madman running away. Soon enough, we reach the top, and the man comes into view. He sat, hunched over the front of a large control panel, wearing his trademark lab coat, which was stained and wet from the weather. His greasy black hair hides the neck I imagined my sword cleaving through.

"Hojo!" I roar.

"..Ah, the failure.." He acknowledges my presence.

"At least remember my name!" I growl. "It's Cloud!"

"Every time I see you..." He says, finally turning from his controls. "It pains me that I had so little scientific sense.. I saw you as a failed project. But, you were the only one who succeeded as a Sephiroth clone."

"None of that matters. Just stop the machine!" I demand.

"Oh, this?" I asks with a tone wreaking of condescension. "Sephiroth seems to be counting on the energy. So I'm going to lend a hand."

"Why?! Why do that?!" I shout.

"Energy level is at 83%.. It's taking too long.." Hojo mutters to himself. "My son needs power and help. That's the only reason."

"Your son?" I gasp in disbelief, but when I turn to Vincent he doesn't seem phased.

"But he doesn't know it." He cackles. "What will Sephiroth think when he finds out I'm his father. He always looked down on me. I offered the woman with my child to professor Gast's Jenova project. When Sephiroth was still in her womb, we took Jenova's cells.."

A shot rings out right by my ear, and Hojo stumbles back. I turn to Vincent, who for once in his life has an angered expression plastered upon it. To our surprise, Hojo regains his footing and begins to laugh uncontrollably.

"I thought I sent you back to your own world, specimen L?" He says, looking at Serah. "That bullet was particularly difficult to extract from my chest."

"That was my sister, you animal!" Serah growls, drawing her bow.

"Sister? Hmm so there's a way back.. Tell me, what happened to her? I'd like to continue my experiments.. Although I could always just drag someone else from your world."

"You caused all of this.. You created Sephiroth! You caused Meteor to fall! You... you took Claire from me." I say, trying to restrain my emotion as I walk towards him.

"That's the least of your problems!" He begins to laugh again. "I've injected my own body with Jenova's cells! Here are the results!"

 **A/N: This chapter was supposed to be much longer than this, but your good ideas have left me with a bit of I dilemma that I feel deserves a vote. So, the options are...**

 **1) Hojo uses all the energy on his portal thingy, combining the LR world with Gaia. This seems to be the only way I can think of to have all the characters together and be able to go down the Lightning Returns arc further (Much further) down the line.**

 **2) Have Hojo just bring Fang and Vanille over (seems like everyone, myself included is a fan of Fang) although not necessarily to the party at the min. (Cosmo area :P)**

 **3) Leave LR and the 13 cast alone and continue with what actually happens?**

 **Regardless of what you all decide, the main story will be the same, they'll fight Sephiroth- end game- then move to the next arc of the story. There will just be some/ all of the ffxiii cast.**

 **As for this chapter. I decided to keep the diamond weapon fight short because I wanted to keep it close to canon as possible. In ff7 it literally just walks away from you like you're nothing, so I thought I'd let Cid have his moment. Next chapter will have a good fight (or even fights depending on your choice). Oh, and I had to put scarlet and Heidegger's laugh in as it's so iconic lol**

 **Better stop there before my notes are longer than the chapter. Let me know what you think, and I promise the next one will be twice as long and 10 times better.**

 **Wolf**


	59. The Mad Scientist

**Cloud's POV**

We all watch as Hojo's body starts to mutate and blister as he lets out an unearthly moan. Something zips past my shoulder and straight into the wicked scientist, but I don't hear a bang. Hojo recoils slightly, turning to his side to reveal an arrow sticking out of his chest. I turn to Serah, who for a split second shared her sister's cold and determined expression; only breaking it to nock another arrow. She fires again, but this time Hojo catches the arrow mid flight, just before it's razor sharp tip had the chance to pierce his skull.

The Shinra scientist lets out a devilish shriek as he drops the arrow and snaps the other that was embedded in his chest. The man's now gray complexion reminded me of Jenova, and my idea of a quick dispatch was vanishing into the distance.

"Just like your sister." Hojo smiles. "I've got another syringe of Jenova's cells here. Want a taste?"

"Cloud..." Vincent warns, but I'm to angry to care anymore.

"Just stop that damn machine." I order the former Turk.

Stomping forward, I drag my sword across the steel floor, before finally lifting it over my head to swing. When I'm just about to swing, Hojo throws out his hand in a slashing motion, sending shards of ice towards me. I thought I'd jumped out of the way in time, but I feel my abs going numb and cold. Looking down, I see a shard of ice had pierced my torso, but it was small enough to worry about later. Finding the man smiling made my blood boil, and I charge in without thought of strategy; only killing.

"Come, specimen C.. Or was it Z? I forget." He grins.

I race towards him, slashing at his neck, but the Jenova cells had given him incredible speed, and he manages to step out of the way of the buster sword just in time. Hojo uses the opportunity to punch me in the kidneys with a strength a man of his age and stature would never normally possess. I hack blindly as I clutch my torso with my other hand, but I get a quick glimpse of Vincent and Serah trying their best to disarm whatever Hojo had done.

"You really hope to stop my son? You can't even stop me!" Hojo laughs.

Returning my sword to its resting place on my back, I call upon all of the materia I possessed, and hit him with wave after wave of fire. His gray skin starts to blister with the heat and smoke pours from his blackened lab coat as I approach. I follow up with a bolt of lightning, just before I'm in range to strike. Staggered and damaged, my fist makes contact with the dark haired man's face, knocking him onto the ground. Blood drips from Hojo's lips as my hand grips his throat tightly, and I pull him back up with one hand as I take Claire's knife out with the other. A maddened grin remains plastered across his face, even when my thumb flicks open the blade of the knife, but as soon as I thrust it towards his head, Hojo catches my weapon hand, which suddenly starts to sting.

The sound of Claire's knife hitting the metal floor must have caught Serah's attention, because the next thing I see is two arrows bursting out of his chest; their tips stopping less than an inch from my own. I drag my hand free to find I had some form of acid burn on my wrist, but my attention quickly turns to Vincent, who is silently waiting for me to move so he doesn't risk shooting me after the bullets zip through the scientist's body. Not wanting to test the former Turk's patience, I roll out of the way, hearing three shots ring out before I had the chance to stand.

Now pouring with blood, Hojo staggers wildly towards the station's control panel and collapses on the chair, somehow not feeling the arrows that slid deeper into him as the shafts pushed into him as he slumped. Vincent paces up to the man, gripping his right shoulder with his golden clawed hand so tightly, that his gauntlet pierces the Scientist's flesh. Hojo just laughs as he bleeds out, even when I have my sword pressed up against his throat.

"Tell me what you've done!" I roar. "Why have you doomed Midgar?!"

"Doomed? You where the ones blowing it up." He laughs.

"But, Reeve said-"

"HA! What would that idiot know! I'm simply bringing people together!" He continues. "But that's all you'll get from me.."

I press my weapon up against his throat until blood starts to trickle down its edge, but all Hojo does is laugh. An arrow darts between me and Vincent, taking us both by surprise. The mad scientist slumps down in his chair as the two of us turn to Serah.

"That's for my sister.." She mutters.

Another dark expression burns across Serah's face, and I'm left to wonder if allowing her to come with me was destroying the happy innocence she had when I first met her on the shores of New Bodhum. The blood stops pumping from the many wounds in Hojo's body, telling me that his heart had finally failed and death had taken him. This single man had done more damage to the world than any mako reactor, any war, any alien.. Hatred boils my blood at the thought that this man was allowed so much free reign, but the sound of beeping catches my attention.

"One hundred percent.. What now?" I ask after reading the monitors, just as all the lights in the city go off.

"Is it gonna blow?!" Serah panics.

"No.." Vincent answers calmly as he looks over the controls. "The power is getting used up by something deep beneath sector 0- do you feel that?"

"Static?" I ask, feeling all of the hairs on my body stand on end. "All that energy.. what's he done with it?"

"The cat thinks he knows!" Barret shouts as he comes into view. "Let's get back to the ship. We're done here."

We all rush back to the ship, eagerly awaiting Reeve's avatar to fill us in on whats happening, but I almost can't believe what he tells us.

"You're tellin' me that Hojo has made some big ass time machine?" Barret asks Cait Sith as we all gather around him of the bridge of the Highwind.

"I don't know exactly what you'd call it, but it's the same type of device that was used to get Lightning here." He answers. "Just on a much larger scale."

"You can turn it off though, right?" Cid frowns, fearing the answer.

"We don't even know where exactly the device is. I'm just picking up a huge, concentrated energy source. But even if I could find it, if that energy isn't used it will blow Midgar to-" Cait Sith stops short and starts to twitch.

The Airship also starts to jerk violently in the air, and several warning alarms sound out through the chaos. I look to Cid, but he just shrugs at me as he tries to get the ship back under control. All of a sudden, the clouds darken and jet black lightning begins to strike all over Midgar. Cid continues to wrestle with the controls as the whole world looks like it's tearing itself apart, but less than a minute later, silence takes over once more.

"Everyone okay?" I ask.

I hear a mass of yes's between the grumbles, as well as the distinct sound of Yuffie being sick. I survey the city, but I don't see anything different, so I turn to the others for answers. They all look as confused as me.

"Sephiroth is still there." I tell them. "Nanaki, how many days do we have left?"

"Maybe seven. I think that's what grandfather said." He answers.

"Nanaki... Do you want to see everyone in Cosmo canyon again?" I ask.

"...Yes." He answers with a guilty tone.

"You want to see Marlene, right?" I turn to Barret.

"Don't ask me that.." Barret sighs.

"We'll beat Sephiroth. Because if we don't, in seven days there won't be a planet left to protect. If we fail.. We'll just go a few days before everyone else."

"Don't be thinkin' like that before a fight!" The former Avalanche leader scolds me.

"No, you don't understand. What are we all fighting for? I want us all to understand that. Save the planet, save the future. Sure, that's all fine.." I begin. "I'm going to take everyone home. You're all going to spend six days with the people you love, in the places you call home. Then we'll all return on the last day to finish Sephiroth."

"Maybe ain't none of us'll come back." Cid shouts.

"If you can't find your reason to fight, I'll understand. Can't fight without a reason, right?" I tell him. "Cid, start taking everybody home.."

 **Fang's POV**

"Oh man, my head hurts.." I mutter to myself as my eyes slowly open to find a mass of deep red sand. "Vanille!"

"Here.." I hear her voice say weakly behind me as she sits up.

"You alright, kiddo?" I ask, pulling her to her feet and brushing the sand off her bare arms.

"I think so." She smiles briefly before her face turns dark. "Fang, Look! Cocoon! It's on fire!"

I follow my best friend's trembling finger to the sky behind me to find what I first thought was Cocoon burning. I quickly realize the burning rock isn't the artificial planet we had been holding up, but some sort of huge comet or meteor.

"Vanille, I don't think we're on Pulse anymore.." I tell her.

"Where are we then?" She asks, seeming far less concerned than I am.

"I'm not sure. Let's head to high ground and figure out what's going on." I order, taking the lead.

We walk for around an hour, slowly gaining altitude as we head towards the highest sandstone peaks. The gentle sun felt pleasant on my bare arms, and I gave Vanille a big smile every time she stopped skipping and turned to me, but my mind was racing about what had happened to us. Was this still Pulse, or a new world? How long had we been crystallized for? Were the others all long dead?

Almost another hour passes, and the sight of civilization fills me with hope. Wooden shacks built upon the steep walls of the distant canyon and a mass of holes in the crimson sandstone told me there was nothing advanced about this place, meaning there was no Fal'cie. The pair of us pick up the pace, wanting to get there well before nightfall, but within a few minutes of our quickened jog, a dark shadow looms overhead. Grateful for the respite from the warm sun, I don't bother to turn around until I feel a sharp gust of wind blow my hair across my face and a ground shaking shriek.

"Fang!" Vanille gasps.

"Run!" I roar, taking my spear and standing my ground against this huge, Bahamut like monster.

"I won't leave you!" She replies, standing by my side. "Do we still have magic?"

I quickly try to use some fire magic on the approaching enemy, but nothing happens. Shaking my head at Vanille and letting out a sigh, I examine the purple and black monster and search for a weak spot in it's heavily armoured body.

"I need you to run as fast as you can to that Canyon. Maybe there's someone there who can help."

"But-"

"NOW, VANILLE!" I roar, charging at the monster, who slashes at me with it's giant claws. "You picked the wrong woman!"

I roll under it's swinging limp, grateful for the soft sand as I slide across the ground. The monster tries to claw me again, but I get on the outside of it's arm and jab my spear into it's joint. It howls in pain and counters with it's wing, which knocks me to the ground. Red eyes greet my own as soon as I land, and the dragon opens it's jaw to reveal teeth that looked like they were made of steel. The next thing I see is the tip of it's tail, that looks like it's made of glass, and had a had a slither of purple running down the middle. The tail coils like a scorpion, and I know what's coming next.

I wait as long as I dare before rolling out of the way and climbing to my feet in a single movement. With it's tail still stuck in the ground, I cut it's barb off at the thinnest point, nearly five feet from the tip, and what's left of it's tail flails around as it sprays out blood. Confident of an easy victory, I leap into the air, using one of it's wings to give myself a boost up. As I fall, I look for a gap between the plates on the back of it's neck, ready to deliver the killing blow, but it turns around rapidly and bats me out of the sky like a fly.

Once again, I'm laying on the warm sand with the monster lurking over me, but this time I fell a warm tingling over my body. I don't need to look, but I rub my hand over my abs to feel a stream of blood pouring out of three slash marks that traveled the width of my body. I begin to feel dizzy when I see the monster's chest start to glow red, but if I was going to die today, this thing was going with me. Gripping my spear tightly, I throw myself up; using the momentum to launch my weapon directly at the red energy in the center of it's chest, making it explode.

The giant dragon lets out another roar which shook the air so badly it hurt chest. I spot it's severed tail still stuck in the ground and run towards it, pulling it from the sand. My pace slows and I start to see white spots in my vision, but if I didn't put an end to this now, it could go after Vanille, and I wasn't about to let that happen. Running as fast as my dying body would let me, I jump up and grab my spear; which is still stuck in the monster's chest, and swing myself around it before using it as a platform to stand on. Jabbing my makeshift sword into the monster's throat causes it to buck me off, but I keep a tight grip of the sword and my other hand on my spear. I go down with the dragon and my eyes shut to the thought of happier times.

" _I shall do what I can, but she has lost a lot of blood."_

" _Magic?! You're a L'cie?!"_

" _No. But how do you know of L'cie? I have known only two people on this planet who know of L'cie."_

" _We'll you're the only talking dog I've ever seen."_

" _I am not a dog, miss. I have stopped the bleeding, can you place her on my back? You can both stay in Grandpa's house."_

I feel Vanille's clumsy hands grip my thigh and arm and lift me onto a fur covered creature. I was still too weak to move, or even open my eyes, so I just lay there, listening to the conversation as I bobbed up and down on the animal's muscular back.

" _You are from Pulse, correct?"_

" _Yeah.." Vanille answers._

" _Hmmm.." The animal the carries me hums. "How did you get here?"  
_

" _I'm not sure. We were stuck in crystal, holding Cocoon up one minute, and the next we woke up here."_

" _You're Fang and Vanille?" The animal gasps._

" _You know who we are?!" My bubbly friend squeaks._

" _I know Lightning, and her sister Serah."_

At the mention of their names, I use all the strength I could muster to throw myself off the furred beast and onto the ground. I pry my eyes open to find a single yellow one staring back at me. The creature seemed like a cross between a lion and a wolf, with scars across it's body; most notably across it's right eye, as well as a tattoo of the number thirteen. It seems to frown at me before pacing away. Giving me a glance of it's tail; which as as small flame burning away at the end of it.

"Fang!" Vanille gasps as she tries to pick me up.

"Tell me where they are, mutt." I cough.

"Serah is with my friend, Cloud. Lightning.. Nobody can find Lightning.." He sighs with genuine regret before steeling his expression. "My name is Nanaki.. If you refer to me as 'mutt' again, I'll leave you here to fend for yourself."

I let out a grin and collapse back onto the ground.

 **(4 Days Later.)**

" _Vincent? What are you doing here?" I hear Nanaki's voice._

" _There are no more words I can say to her.. No atonement will come to me no matter my decision." A deep, toneless voice says in barely a whisper._

" _You are undecided?" Nanaki asks._

" _I will go and Stop Sephiroth. It is the right thing to do. I came here because Cid would never find me where I was." He answers. "Who is this."_

" _Her name is Fang. I believe she and another girl who is downstairs are friends of Serah and Lightning."_

" _I see.. More baggage.."_

"Now wait a damn-..." I begin to shout, but stop myself when I open my eyes.

The man stood over me was as intriguing as he was frightening. He towered over the bed I was laying on, looking down on me with cold red eyes. His face was mostly covered by his leather cape, which had more buckles on than any man should wear, but I didn't need to see his lips to know the pale skinned man was completely devoid of expression.

"She managed to kill a Weapon, Vincent." Nanaki tells him, and for a moment I thought I see a hint of amazement on his face as he examines my body. "It was only the small one, but still.."

"What of the others?"

"Emerald and Ruby are still on the loose, but Grandpa thinks they will go back to sleep if we stop Sephiroth." The talking animal tells him with a distinct sadness in his voice that the dark haired man picks up on.

"Everything okay?" The man called Vincent asks.

"He's become ill over the past few days.."

"Go see him. I shall wait here."

Nanaki hesitates for a moment, but his concern for his grandfather gets the better of him, leaving me alone with the black haired stranger. He remains still, always looking with his intense but blank expression, so I decide to stare into his wine coloured eyes, determined to make him look away first. His gaze doesn't waver, so the child in me decides that I was going to stand right in front of him and make him feel uncomfortable, but when I try to sit, pain floods my abs and I see his expressionless face waiver.

"So you do know how to do something other than frown. Good to know.." I laugh, gripping my scarred body.

The man merely lets out an annoyed sigh and turns on his heels, flicking up his tattered red cape up in the air dramatically. He marches to the door making a metallic chink with each step and opens the door wide. I watch as the door swings open, and the unsuspecting Vanille; who must have been about to walk in, screams at the sight of the man, falling on her butt as she lets out a squeak. I try not to laugh, but Vincent just shakes his head and steps over her, revealing my pseudo sister breathing heavily.

"Who was.. that..?" She pants.

"One of Nanaki's friends I think." I answer.

"He has scary friends.." Vanille replies, standing up and dusting herself off.

"Well he is a taking dog." I laugh again, instantly regretting it as my diaphragm aches.

 **Serah's POV**

"Will you just rest for a bit." I tell the blonde, who is training on the deck of the Highwind.

"Five more minutes." The blonde pants, performing a masterful cut on the fresh air.

"You said that 3 hours ago.." I sigh. "You'll wear yourself out. "Come on, it's getting dark."

Accepting that I'd annoy him until he gave in, the blonde sheaths his sword and we retreat back to the empty bridge. I'd found two sleeping bags on our first over the crater, and Cloud insisted on torturing himself by placing his, right next to the window, so he could stare into the dark hole all night. Like every night since we got here, the blonde lay on his chest on the sleeping bag, staring into the darkness. I don't pretend to know what was going through his mind, but I knew it wasn't healthy. Taking a small lamp from the other end of the room, I place it next to the window, causing Cloud's miserable view to be replaced by our own reflections. He saw my smiling face in the now mirror like glass, knowing I'd done it on purpose.

"Cheer up. We'll see the others tomorrow." I say cheerfully.

"If they want to come.. I wouldn't blame them if they didn't."

"You have so little faith, you know that?" I shake my head. "They'll be there."

"...Even Yuffie?" He asks.

"Even Yuffie... Probably.." I laugh.

 **A/N: Option 1 it is! The characters (Well the entire population of Pulse) are all scattered across the world and will be introduced to each other over time. (I've got some good idea's for how to do this.) At the minute, the group don't see any difference in the planet, and are more focused on Stopping Sephiroth, but over time, they'll start to build a picture of whats going on. I do like Fang's character. I would have thought in the original ff13 game, Fang was the strongest. Unlike the others (apart from Vanille) She had L'cie experience before and lived on a planet where everything that moved tried to kill her.. much like Australia when you think about it haha. Maybe that's why they went with that accent. As for 'Pointy bits' I do love that video. Cloud sounds like butters off south park in it. Are they ever releasing Dissidia? It just seems to be japan. It's like they don't like money.**


	60. Calm Before The Storm

**Serah's POV**

I lay on my back, staring at the roof of the Highwind as I think of tomorrow. I wonder if they will all return to fight Sephiroth, and if Cloud will keep it together when he finally meets the man that ruined his life. It was easy to tell when the mako eyed man was asleep, because he would mutter my sister's name and flinch occasionally. I often had to pry the survival knife I bought for my sister out of his hands as he slept so he didn't end up squeezing the blade as he tossed and turned.

" _Serah, come with me."_

My heart skips a beat when I hear the gentle female voice, and by body stays rigid. Slowly, my eyes scan the bridge of the Highwind until they fall upon a ghostly figure of a familiar woman. She smiles at me with her warm features and I instantly feel at ease. I climb to my feet as quietly as possible, and follow her ethereal body out towards the rear deck of the ship.

"You're Aeris?"

"I am." She smiles warmly.

"Are you okay?" I ask, wondering why a spirit would be here. "Is Cloud okay?"

"I'm here because I need you." Aeris tells me. "I wouldn't ask if it wasn't really important."

"What do you want me to do?" I ask, feeling almost obliged to help considering what happened to her.

"I need you to go to the Ancient city and call upon Holy."

"How do I do that?" I wonder.

"You need to call upon the power of holy that resides inside of you. But it will only work on the Ancient altar."

"You want me to leave him, don't you?..." I sigh, quickly piecing together the situation. "How will I find this place?"

"I'll guide you. But don't worry, you won't be traveling the whole journey alone." Aeris smiles.

"Cloud needs the others to stop Sephiroth. I can't take people away from him." I tell her, knowing the blonde would need all of the help he could get.

"Don't worry, I'll find a friendly face or two to help." The brunette grins. "But you must go quickly. We don't have a lot of time."

I pause for a moment, thinking about how annoyed Cloud would be when he woke, but I give Aeris a reluctant nod. She gives me a moment to collect my weapon and vanishes before my eyes, reappearing again underneath the ship. I take a final look at the blonde, hoping that I was making the right decision, and climb down to the lip of the crater, just as the sun rose from the horizon.

 **Cloud's POV**

My eyes open with the realization that this could be my last day on earth. I stare through the glass, looking down on the crater that was home to a man that had taken so much from me. Composing my thoughts, I turn on my side to find an empty sleeping bag. Over the last few days where it had just been the two of us, the younger Farron had always risen early to cook breakfast, but worry set in when I couldn't smell the aroma of food I had come to use as a pleasant alarm clock.

I quickly climb out of my sleeping bag and rush across the bridge of the airship, listening for any noise other than my own boots on the metal floor. Panic starts to set in when I can't find her, and I start to search the ship, inch by inch. I feel sick not knowing where the girl I thought of as a sister was. With every room of the ship checked twice, I head out onto the rear deck and look out onto the horizon. I don't spot her anywhere, and my heart begins to fill with dread. She wouldn't go in the crater alone, surely?

"Serah... why are you doing this to me?.." I mutter to myself angrily as I jump down and scan the floor.

There was only one was down and the route looked undisturbed. Not even someone as light footed as Serah could make it down there without leaving some form of tracks. Forced to return back to the ship without her, I fire up the engines, remembering everything Cid had told me about flying. I set off, hoping to see the pinkette much more easily from the air as I run through the lecture she was going to get when I found her.

Over an hour passes before the impending doom of the Meteor hammers in the realization that I didn't have time to be looking for her. I slam my fist down onto the control panel, instantly knowing Cid would notice the mark, and head for Kalm, where Tifa and Barret were spending their last few days with Marlene. I feel guilty for going back to get them, but they make me promise them I would before they would leave she ship.

I pick the pair of them up, not enjoying having to explain to them that Serah had gone one bit. They tell me not to worry and gratefully change the subject to Marlene.

"Marlene was askin' 'bout ya." Barret tells me. "Wants to know when uncle Cloud is comin' over."

"With a bit of luck, tomorrow.." I answer, trying to sound optimistic but failing miserably.

"Right bundle of sunshine you are.. I see why yo momma called you Cloud." Barret teases.

"Barret..." Tifa mutters to him, shaking her head.

I pay him little attention and head back north towards the ocean, then heading west towards Rocket town. I could just about fly the Highwind, but I'd rather Cid flew the damn thing. It takes a couple of hours, and when we did finally get in the area, the town was much harder to find without the giant rocket that could be seen for miles. Even from up here, I could see Cid wincing as I shakily stopped the ship just outside of town. To all of our surprise, the moody pilot hugs Shera tightly, before running towards the ship with a spear in his hand. He boards his airship and I'm greeted with an unimpressed head shake and a less than pleasant gesture to take my hands off his controls.

"Has the blonde jackass hurt you, baby?" The pilot asks the Highwind as he strokes the control panel.

"Cid, take us to Cosmo Canyon. We'll pick Yuffie up last." I order.

"Whats the point? The kid won't show." Cid replies. "Hey, where's Pinky?"

"Yuffie will come." I answer before walking off the bridge to find somewhere quiet.

I sit in the corner of the operations room, silently going through all of my materia, working out new and less conventional combinations that may aid in my fight against Sephiroth. Once I was satisfied with my setup, my mind had nothing left to distract me from Claire. I was so convinced I had got her back to this world, I at least expected to find her crystal if nothing else. If I could defeat Sephiroth today, I would devote my life to finding her.

" _Yo Spiky! Come check this out!"_ I hear Barret's excited tone echo through the ship.

"What's going on?" I ask after rushing back to them.

"Look. Some chick ain't happy with Vincent." He laughs, pointing to The ground below, where Vincent was being harassed by an angry looking brunette.

"Come on." I tell them, quickly leaving the ship and racing up the stairs to Cosmo canyon.

"Don't you dare walk away from me moody bollocks!" The woman roars in a thick accent that I've never heard before.

"Cloud." Vincent nods calmly, completely ignoring the woman as if she wasn't there.

"Made new friends I see." Cid laughs. "You not call her back or somethin'?"

Vincent continues to walk towards us, ignoring the woman who grips her red spear tightly and swings it at his head. I go to warn him, but before I can even open my mouth, Vincent has turned around and caught the spear with his clawed hand. He pulls the spear with incredible strength, but the brunette refuses to let go and is dragged along with it until she's stood toe to to with the former Turk.

"Fang! Stop it!" A young girl shouts as she stumbles down the next set of steps that lead to the weapon shop.

The second I hear her name it hits me. The photo frame in Oerba; it was of Fang and Vanille..

"Enough!" I roar, causing the two women to look at me. "You're Fang and Vanille?"

"Who's askin'?" She frowns, ripping her spear from Vincent's grip.

"Cloud Strife. Now answer the question. I don't have all day." I say bluntly.

"I didn't expect her to go for a pretty boy." The woman smirks.

"Excuse me?" I frown.

She ignores me completely and walks straight for me. With Vincent out of the way, I get a better view of the woman, who has tanned skin and wavy brunette hair, which draped over a glass sword that was slung over her back. She had a tribal tattoo on her arm and wore clothes that would have fit in around Cosmo canyon. Her piercing green eyes look me up and down with a judgmental gaze, until she finally stops right in front of me. The woman who I'm convinced is Fang revels in the fact that she's a little taller than me, but her intimidation tactics would have to wait.

"Everyone, let's go." I order, turning my back to her. "We need to pick Yuffie up."

"Is it really worth the cost of fuel to fly to Wutai?" Cid moans.

"Hey! Where's Serah!?" Fang shouts.

My head lowers with shame, and I can't bring myself to tell her that I didn't know. I feel everyone's eyes on me, adding to my guilt as I walk down the steps, leaving the canyon.

"You've lost her, haven't you?" She states in a condescending tone. "That's it. Come on Vanille. We're goin' with them."

"Wait a god damn minute! It's bad luck having a woman on board!" Cid barks.

"Cid, Tifa's been in the Highwind since the beginning." Barret reminds him.

"Yeah, but she hardly wears any clothes." The pilot laughs.

"Hey!" The brunette barmaid shouts, punching Cid in the arm.

"Cloud.." Nanaki says softly, speaking for the first time since we came here. "She killed a weapon on her own."

I stop walking as soon as my head processed Nanaki's words, and I turned around to the gasps of the others. We have less than twenty four hours to stop Sephiroth, but I couldn't focus on the moment I've waited on for so long because my mind was split between the two Farron sisters. The one I love with all my heart, and the one I'd come to see as a sister was missing. If I could get them to find Serah at least, I could focus on stopping Sephiroth.

"Cid, they're coming." I tell him.

We make it back to the Highwind and an awkward silence fills the bridge. Nobody but me knew who the two girls were, and they all look to me for the answers. I take a deep breath and open my mouth to explain whats going on, but I'm beaten by the bubbly red head, who steps into the center.

"Hi, I'm Vanille." She says excitedly. "Nice to meet you."

"Tifa. Nice to meet you too." Tifa replies, setting off a chain reaction on introductions.

"I'm so excited! Our Lightning has finally found herself a boy!" She squeals, causing me to blush and the others to laugh. "Maybe you'll get married before Snow and Serah."

"We'll have to find them first.." Fang remarks.

"Perhaps they could find Serah while we deal with our more immediate problem?" Vincent suggests.

"Serah isn't a priority?" Fang continues to push. "Looks like Light made a poor choice.."

Something inside of me snaps and I start to march towards the brunette, unsure what I'd do once I reached her. She does the same, smiling at the thought of the confrontation, showing no fear.

"Hey, hey- Wa- Wait! Stop!" Voices shout as everyone rushes in separate us.

As soon as the shouting starts, my brief anger subsides; unlike Fang's, who is putting up a valiant effort of barging past Vanille, Barret, Tifa and Cid.

"Enough! You see that big fiery rock in the sky, woman?!" That thing's comin' down by the end of the day, an we'll all be space dust if Cloud don't stop Sephiroth!" Cid crudely explains as she finally calms down.

"You're a hunter?" Vincent asks her out of the blue.

"Yeah, what of it?" She asks defensively.

"You can track animals. Do you think you could track Serah if we took you to where we saw her last?" The former Turk continues, calming us all down with his rational plan.

"Yeah, unless her sister taught her evasion techniques." Fang answers.

"Then it's settled. Let's go to the crater and kick Sephiroth's ass while they find Serah." Barret suggests.

"After we pick Yuffie up." Nanaki adds.

With tensions settled for now, everyone disperses and scatters across the bridge. Vanille talks to Tifa as they both peer out of the window, and I can just about hear Tifa pointing things out to her. Fang on the other hand remained next to Cid and Barret, who all seemed to share the same brash sense of humor. My eyes turn to Nanaki, who's been very quiet since we had picked him up. The red furred beast was never the talkative type like Yuffie, but his wise words always spoke up when he had something he thought was worth sharing. Worried that it might be nerves for the battle ahead, I make my way over to him and take a seat on the ground by his side.

"You enjoy your time back at Cosmo Canyon?" I ask.

"Yes. I can't wait to get back and become it's full time protector." He answers almost robotically.

"You're not nervous?" I wonder.

"I'm Nanaki. Son of the great warrior, Seto. I'm not afraid of Sephiroth." He answers with great pride.

"Any idea Fang and Vanille got here?"

"It would seem whatever Hojo did caused it." He replies. "And they're not the only ones.. We've had a few people enter the village claiming they are from Pulse."

"I wonder just how many are here?" I say, thinking about how many people could be brought here with all of Midgar's reactors used at once.

"It's too soon to tell. Cait Sith has gone back to Midgar while Reeve keeps some form of order."

"Those poor people.. Out of the frying pan and into the fire.. Bugenhagen keeping that materia safe?" I add, instantly seeing a change in his expression.

"It's all locked up safely. Grandpa's gone on a long journey. He gave me this gift before he left." Nanaki tells me with a mock happy tone as he shakes his head to show off his new, feathered headdress.

"Don't you usually give gifts when you return?" I reply, glancing up to Vincent, who silently tells me the bad news with just the shake of his head. "It looks great, Nanaki." I add, smiling.

Everybody knew how much Nanaki loved his 'grandfather', and the wise man's death was a loss for this already dying world. I finally understood why he wanted Yuffie back. Despite what the beast said, I think he enjoyed Yuffie playing with him. I place a comforting hand on his back before standing and walking over to Cid. With a bit of luck, she'll be at Wutai..

"I really don't know why we're wasting our time." Cid moans.

"You miss her really." I laugh.

"Like a hole in the damn head." The pilot huffs. "There's Wutai in the distance." He points.

We circle Wutai before landing on it's northern border. To my embarrassment, Yuffie is nowhere to be seen after five minutes, despite me telling the group that she'd show. By now, the planet had a red tint to it from the meteor, and I knew I didn't have time to wait. I tell the smug pilot to set off again, and although I was a little disappointed, I fully understood. She was just a kid after all.

"Look!" Tifa shouts, pointing out of the window. "There! It's Yuffie!"

Everyone races to the window; including Cid, forcing the co-pilot to quickly take the wheel. Sure enough, it was Yuffie, desperately trying to flag us down as she galloped on the back of a golden chocobo. I look to the co-pilot, who instantly brings the airship to a halt and lowers it so she could jump on, chocobo included. We all wait patiently for her to appear on the bridge, holding her stomach as she usually does, but instead we're greeted by 'Waaarks' as Yuffie charges onto the bridge on the back of the chocobo like a gallant knight.

"Stupid Jerks! You were gonna leave me, weren't you?!" She screams.

"Get that damn shit machine off my ship!" Cid barks, earning himself a cold look from the feathered beast.

"You know how long it took me to... acquire him?" She asks, stroking it's feathery mane.

"Acquire? You mean steal?"

"TomAto, Tomato. What's the difference?" She continues to argue with Cid as we all marvel at the golden bird. "Anyway! While you lot were all home enjoying yourselves, I've been preparing for the battle!"

"You still look weak as shit." Barret laughs.

"Really? Then you wouldn't mind if I used THIS on you then?" She asks, holding up a crimson orb. "I found an ancient map with the location of a place called 'Round Island' in dad's archives. They say this is the most powerful summon of them all." Yuffie adds, throwing the orb to me.

"Well done, Yuffie." I nod, instantly feeling it's immense power when I touched it. "Go find somewhere to put the Chocobo so it's comfy."

"Can I come too?" Vanille chirps up.

"Sure- wait, who are you?" Yuffie frowns.

"Not this again! Fang, Vanille, this is the twerp. Twerp, this is Fang and Vanille." Barret huffs. "Let's go!"

With no more distractions, the Highwind sets off on what could be it's final voyage. The trip was almost silent all of the way there. The only noises in the bridge were the gentle hum of the engines and Yuffie, who was making strange noises as she tried her best to cheer up Nanaki. I stand at the back of the bridge, watching Fang glancing at Vincent every few seconds, and I can't help but smile when I see him do the same.

The Northern crater came into view on the horizon, and I pray that Serah hadn't ventured down there on her own. It scared me to think that the fate of the world rested in my hands. The hands of a man who couldn't save anyone he cared about. Letting out a sigh, I feel the ship start to slow as we pass the lip of the crater. I try my best to push my failures to the back of my mind and close my eyes. I think of Claire's smiling face; her beauty, her strength. I promise myself that I would see her again. Only one man stood in my way.

"Hey, Cloud. You ever see the play loveless?" Cid asks when I approach him.

"No..." I frown, confused at his strange choice of topic.

"I don't blame ya, but they've been doing that play every summer since I was a kid. An; I remember seein' it just once. Way back when I was in Midgar, being interviewed to be a pilot. I had some free time and I thought I'd watch a play." He starts to explain. "Now, I'm not big fan of the theater or anything. In fact the thing put me to sleep, just like I thought it would. Finally during the last scene, the guy next to me woke me up, sayin' my snorin' was too loud. So all I really remember is the bit at the end."

"Hmm." I hum, still unsure where he was going with this.

"The sister asks her lover, _'Do you really have to leave?'_ And they guy says ' _I promised. The people that I love are waiting'_. The girl is upset, sayin' _'...I don't understand. Not at all... But.. Please take care of yourself...'"_ The pilot continues. "He tells her _'Of course. I'll come back to you. Even if you don't promise to wait. I'll return knowing you'll be there.'_ Now at the time I thought it was a load of crap, but the last couple of days has got me thinking.. It's like you and Light. She promised that she'd find a way back home to her loved ones. You didn't want her to go, but you found her and she said she'd return. You're gonna find your woman, kid. I promise you that."

 **A/N: You know Light's been away from the story for too long when she appears in the reviews haha Your time will come, and you'll be here to stay, I promise. This chapter was supposed to be Sephiroth but I've pushed it back to the next one as I feel it deserves it's own full chapter(s). I'm gonna go with the three stages of Sephiroth, but I'll ad some dialog in there too as I feel that is what made run ins with Caius so good. Although through the games I despise Snow, I think he'll be good for the story as his personality clashes with a few of our less social ff7 cast. I already know how I'm introducing him into the story and I cant wait to write it.**

 **Monking ii, I never knew that about Dissidia, but it would seem that's Square's business model for everything now. Spoon feed the fans bit by bit over eternity. They've done it with Hitman and they're doing it with FF7 remake.**


	61. The Descent

**Cloud's POV**

My boots touch down on the loose ground on the lip of the crater, and I peer down into it like its was the very depths of hell. Down in the heart of the planet, I would meet my fate; and if I failed, I would have signed the planet's death sentence.

"Can I do this?" I ask myself, as the others make their way down from the ship.

" _It's not a question of can or can't. There are some things in life you just do."_

I turn around with wide eyes, convinced I heard Claire's voice, but all I see is the others. Was this Claire giving me encouragement from a far away place, or just my tortured soul giving me false hope, only to snatch it away. Determined to take my mind of everything, I scan the ground for clues of Serah, only to find tanned legs in a pair of sandals stood in front of me.

"What in the name of Etro are you doing?" Fang asks condescendingly as I meet her gaze.

"Looking for signs of Serah." I answer.

"It's mostly loose rock up here. You aren't going to find a footprint up here. But don't worry, I think I know which way she went."

"How?" I ask, genuinely curious.

"The edge of the crater is steep and loose. See those three dark gouges going down the wall of the crater? Watch." Fang says, walking next to them and sliding down, making three identical trails in the ground with her heels and the palm of her hand. "She slid down her. She was going away from the crater."

"Please find her.." I ask as she climbs back up.

"We will. I can promise you that." The huntress nods. "Here. Go kick some ass." She adds, handing me the crystal sword from her back. "Vanille, let's go!"

"You don't need it?" I ask.

"Never a fan of swords." She answers, holding up her double bladed spear as she walks away.

"Wait." Vincent's toneless voice sounds as he walks over to the two Pulsan girls and unbuckles his cloak, throwing it over the shoulders of Vanille. "You are heading towards a glacier. Sub zero temperatures will take their toll on the body if you aren't careful."

"Well aren't you a gentleman." Fang teases, but is ultimately ignored by the former Turk.

"Oh, hang on!" Tifa shouts, running towards us with a map.

"Where the hell did you hide that map?" Barret asks.

"I have my ways." She laughs before handing the glacier map to Fang. "We'll see you soon, yeah?"

"Too right." The hunter nods.

"Enough of the pleasantries! Lets go kick his ass so I can go home!" Cid barks, charging into the crater.

Our group runs in after the pilot, leaving Fang and Vanille to find Serah. The woman may know how to push my buttons, but there was no doubt that she was my best chance of keeping the younger Farron safe. I continue to slide down into the depths of the crater until my boots find a narrow ledge; which spirals down to a cave near the bottom. My eyes remain fixed on Cid until he vanishes inside the cave for a brief moment, until his foul mouth echo's out.

"Shit!" Cid shouts as he runs out of the cave and takes cover behind the wall, just as flames shoot out of the cave entrance.

A deep roar shakes the whole crater and I instantly recognize the sound to be that of a dragon. More angered flames shoot out of the cave, but I can't help but laugh when Cid takes out a cigarette and lights it with the dragon's breath before giving me the thumbs up. You can say what you want about Cid Highwind, but the man simply didn't care.

"I may have stood on it's tail and woke it up." The pilot explains.

"How the hell do you stand on a dragon's tail without noticin'?" Barret asks.

"It's dark in there! And who puts a dragon's tail on the ground?!" Cid replies.

"I would have thought the dragon it was attached to put it there." Yuffie teases.

"Barret, you're up." I tell him.

The Avalanche leader swaps places with me and Cid, ready to open fire into the cave. He quickly composes himself and rolls his body around the corner, opening fire into the cave. A defeated roar and the sound of something heavy hitting the ground tells me that Barret had defeated the dragon, so we all rush inside. Sure enough, the black dragon lay in the corner, riddled with bullet holes, but another single shot rings out through the cave.

"Better to be sure.." Vincent says after shooting it in the head.

We continue through the cave system, slowly going deeper and deeper into the crater. The smell of mako became more pungent with every step and soon the glowing liquid was oozing out of the walls, lighting up the tunnels. Eventually we come out into a vast cavern that had stalactites of crystallized mako growing from the roof, filling the room with an eerie green glow.

"We're getting closer.." I tell the group.

"How do you know we're going the right way?" Yuffie asks.

"I can feel it.. I can feel his power.." I answer.

"You ain't gonna go all crazy again?" Barret asks. "Ain't nobody got time for that shit today."

"I'm fine." I answer honestly, grateful that I now seemed to be immune from the man's influence.

We continue to make our way towards the core, traveling through the caverns and caves until my eyes find what I'm sure is the place Sephiroth was calling home. A ring of stone surrounds gaseous mako, which rises from the center as a luminous green mist. I look down into the mist; which had a sweet smell to it, but I could feel it make my skin tingle. At the bottom of the pit was a platform made up of obelisks of materia, seemingly suspended in a dark void. The others all file in behind me and look down into the mist.

"All right, everyone, let's mosey." I order, keeping a tight grip on the crystal sword Fang had given me.

"Damn! Again! Stop sayin' it like a wimp!" Cid barks. "Can't you say 'Move out!' or somethin'?"

"Move out!" I shout, rubbing the back of my head in embarrassment.

Nanaki and Vincent follow me as I jump down onto the platform, but I can't see any way to progress from here. The three of us look over the edges of the crystal structure, but our eyes are met with only darkness.

"What now?" Nanaki asks.

"Something's coming!" I point to a pair of glowing pink eyes in the distance.

"Heaven's dark harbinger.. Jenova." Vincent mutters as her true form comes into view.

The alien woman that caused the crater we were stood in two thousand years ago emerged from the darkness, walking across the void as if it was solid. Jenova's silvery hair trailed down her scarred and scaled body that was a deathly tone of grey, with a faint blue tint. Her pink eyes shone brightly in the darkness, illuminating her wicked smile, which sent shivers down my spine. I tense my whole body and widen my stance when she takes her first step onto the platform. A shot rings out from behind me, telling me that Vincent had taken a shot, but Jenova vanishes in an instant. I feel her breath on my neck so I spin on my heels and slash blindly. Jenova ducks out of the way just in time, kicking Nanaki in the ribs as she moves.

A wave of heat scorches my skin before I get another glance at the alien lifeform, and the smell of burning fur floods my nose. I turn to the others to find them singed but otherwise intact. The three of us stand back to back in the center of the platform, looking out into the darkness. We see nothing as we wait silently, desperate for a clue as to where she would strike next, and we didn't have to wait long.

"Above!" Vincent shouts.

I turn, bringing up my crystal sword as two pink beams of light erupt from Jenova's eyes. I manage to deflect one of the beams with the wide blade, but the other burns into my shoulder armour, causing the metal to glow white hot and blister my skin. Vincent brings his weapon up as I stumble, but Sephiroth's 'mother' bats his hand out of the way before the bullet leaves the barrel. Nanaki leaps into the air with his jaws wide open, ready to sink them into the woman's neck. He misses Jenova's neck but manages to sink his fangs into her shoulder, dragging her to the ground with his weight. The red furred beast violently shakes her, causing the puncture wounds in her body to grow wider as I slash across her back.

Thinking we had sealed an easy victory, Vincent slowly paces over to the downed calamity with his pistol aimed at her head, only for a shockwave to radiate from her body, knocking us all back and off our feet. I use the momentum to roll back and stand myself up, just before I go over the edge. A swift glance at the others was all it took to form a plan.

"Together now.." I say, charging towards the center of the crystal platform where Jenova now stood.

Blood dripped from the creature's shoulder and down onto her breast, making her look even more horrifying. When I get within a few feet, I leap into the air, purposefully overshooting and landing behind without striking. The distraction left Vincent enough time to take a well aimed shot at her hip, knocking off balance as Nanaki bites into her leg from the other side, briefly fixing her in place. Recoiling my sword over my shoulder, I throw all of my weight behind my swing and slice through the creature's neck and sending her head tumbling over the edge of the platform and into the abyss.

"Now stay dead.." I mutter. "You can come down now!" I shout up to the others.

"Ewww! It's disgusting!" Yuffie heaves as the group jump down to us.

"I dunno.. That's a perky pair- minus the eye ball for a nipple and the fact it don't have a head." Cid comments.

"Cid, there's somethin' seriously wrong with you.." Barret shakes his head.

"Hey, I'm not prejudiced. Pair of tits is a pair of tits." He laughs.

"Stop, I'm gonna be sick." The young ninja holds her stomach.

"What now?" Tifa asks, tactfully changing the subject.

"We burn the body." Vincent tells us, not waiting for anyone to object.

The former Turk uses his materia to burn the headless body, which quickly turns to ash. If there was any way to destroy the ash as well, I would have, but the small pile of dark gray dust just blows away into the darkness. I was about to ask for suggestions for where to go next, but that option was taken from me when the mass of crystal obelisks that made up the platform start to separate and ascend away from us. Seconds later, we're all falling into the Mako fog, which turns my vision white.

"T.. That light...Holy?" I mumble when my eyes start to focus.

"Oww." I hear Tifa grunt to my right.

I slowly climb to my feet to get a better look at the glowing blue core, and my mako eyes widen when I see a crystal silhouette at it's core. It takes a second for me to scan her features against the blue glow of the orb she was encased in, but my heart skips a beat when I come to the realization of who it was.

"Claire!" I shout as I try to figure out a way to get to her.

" _She can't hear you.."_

"Sephiroth! Show yourself!" I roar, now trembling with rage.

"Welcome, Cloud." Sephiroth says as he materializes in front of the imprisoned holy, and blocking Claire from my view. "Have you come to see my rebirth?"

"I've come to kill you.." I growl. "Give me Claire and I'll make it quick.."

"She's nothing more than a paperweight now." Sephiroth tells us with his smug voice. "Still, she proved useful in drawing you here. You see? You're both a part of me. And soon... Soon the whole planet will become a part of me."

"I won't let that happen! I remember! I remember it all! I threw you in that reactor all those years ago. If I can beat you then, I can beat you now!" I shout, gripping the handle of my sword tightly.

"You misunderstand, Cloud.. It's already happening." The silver haired man grins. "Behold.. My rebirth."

 **Fang's POV**

"How are ya doin' back there?" I shout behind me through the blizzard of snow.

"Hanging in there!" Vanille says cheerfully. "Are we getting closer?"

"You bet. She can't be much further ahead. I'm impressed that she managed to get down that Glacier on her own." I tell her. "I thought we'd have caught her before she got there."

"Our Serah is growing up just like her sister." She smiles as she jogs up to me. "That Cloud has taught her a lot."

"He seems alright. Surprised Light went for someone like that."

"I'm surprised she fell for anybody!" Vanille laughs. "I think he's cute. His hair is like a Chocobo."

"Let's just hope he does his job." I mutter, rubbing the top of my arms to try to generate some heat.

"Fang, look!"

I follow her finger into the distance, initially finding nothing, but movement eventually catches my eye. A pair of black stockings were all I could see at first, but as we ran closer, we saw a figure crawling weakly though the snow.

"Serah!" I shout, rushing over to the collapsed Farron.

"F..Fang? Vanille?" She mutters weakly. "I don't.. understand."

"It's alright kiddo. We've got ya." I say, heaving her up after Vanille throws Vincent's cloak over her.

I throw Light's sister over my shoulders and march through the snow towards the treeline. My legs were grateful that she didn't weigh much, and we quickly make it into the trees and out of the blizzard. Serah's skin was nearly blue when I finally prop her up against the trunk of the widest tree I could find, and her teeth chattered inside of her lips.

"Don't you worry. We'll warm ya up." I smile, standing back up and hacking at a nearby dead tree with the blade of my spear.

The tree soon gives way to by persistence, and I take another couple of minutes to chop it up into smaller sized pieces. Vanille digs out the snow from the base of the tree, until we have a small patch, just large enough for the three of us and a little fire to sit in and not get wet. I smile to myself as she uses the snow she had removed from the ground to make a short wall around them, blocking out most of the icy wind. _So she does pay attention to my survival skills after all.._

"Here we go." I say, placing the kindling into a pile and lighting it.

Once the feathered bits of kindling start to take light, I slowly feed the growing flame with larger and larger chunks of wood, until the colour starts to come back into the pinkette's already pale complexion. The poor kid still seems dazed by the hypothermia, because it takes her a few minutes for her brain to realize what was going on.

"Fang! Vanille! It's really you!" She shouts out of the blue, causing Vanille to let out a squeak.

"...And she's back." I grin. "What the hell were you doing out here all by yourself?"

"I need to get to the Ancient City. There's something important I've gotta do." She answers, although not nearly to my satisfaction.

"You're gonna have to be a little more specific than that." I tell her.

"I died.." She begins, lowering her head. "I was just like Yeul. I saw the future, and it killed me. But Cloud.. He brought me back to life with a really special magic. I need to call upon it to stop meteor."

"And you can only do it at this city?" Vanille asks. 

"Right." Serah nods. "Come on, we don't have a lot of time."

 **Cloud's POV**

The ethereal projection of Sephiroth vanishes as something monstrous rises from the ground. At first I thought it was Jenova, as it shared the same, almost blue skin, but it soon became clear that it was Sephiroth without his silver bangs. His eyes remain closed as he rises, but the sight of two large horns rising from the darkness beneath him turn my attention.

"I'm starting to think this was not a good idea.." Cid mutters as his cigarette falls out of his mouth.

Sephiroth continues to rise until he's towering over us. It's whole, deathly form sprouted from an egg like core, which glowed a pale lemon, and his huge torso rippled with muscle. The tips of his arms ended in white feathers rather than hands, but my eyes were fixated on the larger of his two heads, that had bright red markings around his glowing, lifestream eyes. I don't know why, but his monster he had become scared me less than the form I grew up looking up to.

"Are you ready to become a part of me?" Sephiroth asks with a demonic voice.

"Never!" I roar, running towards the monster he had become.

"Well don't just stand there! Let's go!" I hear Barret shout to the others as gunfire erupts form behind me.

I hurl the crystal blade at Sephiroth, which flies through the air like a dart, before embedding itself into the base of his torso. Drawing the buster sword as I run, I slot a lightning and my Odin materia into the two holes. Yuffie's shuriken zips past my head and sticks into Sephiroth just above my second sword as I reach it. I run up my crystal blade and drag the buster sword's razor sharp edge up the former Solider General's corpse coloured abs, until I run out of momentum. I kick off his monstrous body; pulling Yuffie's shuriken out as I do and throw it back to her. Vincent opens fire at the larger, horned head, giving my time to pull out the other blade from Sephiroth's body, but I feel a dark matter cloud around my body.

It only lasts for a few seconds, but I feel the darkness eat away at my body, and by the time it fades away I drop to my knees. My eyes spot the crystal sword that now glowed a dull purple, and I could visibly see the once razor edge start to dull. A comforting hand touches my shoulder, followed by a healing warmth. I look over my shoulder to find Tifa healing me with a brief smile, and my sword looses it's purple glow, and returns to its clear light.

"It's strength seems to be tied to the user." Nanaki shouts over to me.

"Great.." I huff, standing back up. "We need to free Claire!"

"Then let's show him how Lightning strikes!" Cid barks, somehow finding the time to light a cigarette between attacks.

I give the man a nod, and our group of seven call upon our materia, hitting Sephiroth with a mighty bolt of lightning. A deep growl tells me this was the first time we did any real damage, and it gives us the resolve to keep pressing. This was possible. We could win..

The seven of us charge Sephiroth with our weapons aimed at him with murderous intent. Our enemy's limbs thrust forward in our direction and we're hit by a monumental force, which flings us across the ground like rag dolls. Again, my crystal sword turns a dull purple, and I drop it when I see Yuffie laying next to me, clutching her leg.

"Yuffie!" I shout, crawling over to her.

"We got her! You go finish this!" Barret shouts.

Nanaki, Cid and Vincent use their materia to heal and shield me as I pick my swords up. I take my place between the still stationary Sephiroth and my friends, and take a deep breath. _See you soon, Claire.._

A fiery aura pours from my body like steam and I feel the years of hatred I had for the man build up inside of me, filling me with power. I press both swords against each other and grip both handles in a double grip as I run at Sephiroth. Wave after wave of dark energy and fire magic is hurled my way, but all it does is bounce of the shield that Nanaki had cast on me. I was almost disappointed that his statue like body was devoid of expression as he failed to stop my advance. When I get close, I use the bulb like base of his body to give myself myself a boost, and bring my swords crashing down, severing both of his horns.

My boots had barely returned to earth when Sephiroth's limb swings at me like a mace, but I quickly jump back and hit him with another bolt of lightning. The former Soldier's body slopes back from the shock, opening himself up for my cross slash, which carves a giant X into his chest. Again, I kick off his wounded body and spin in the air, sending beams of light from my two swords into his core.

Sephiroth sinks into the darkness as I drop to my knees in exhaustion. With the man gone, I get a clear view of Claire, who remains crystallized in the core of the planet that contained Holy. Dropping my weapons, I stand up on shaky legs and stagger in her direction, only for the sound of flapping wings to break the silence.

" _Did you truly think it would be so easy? Come, marvel at your God."_

 **A/N: Hey everyone :) it was my intention to have the first two stages of the Sephiroth fight in this chapter, but my new Pc has come, so the laptop is going into retirement. Can't find any of my usb drives, so I couldn't just transfer it over. The next stage of Sephiroth will be far more intense than this one, as 'Bizzaro Sephiroth' is essentially just a protective 'egg' for Safer Sephiroth. Speaking of Bizzaro, that was actually a mistranslation. In the Japanese game he's called rebirth Sephiroth and the translators must of thought it said reverse instead, which is why he's called Bizzaro.**

 **Warrick24, thanks for the review. I've actually had the idea of Serah taking a liking to Cloud for quite some time, but I keep thinking if she'd so something like that or not. So I'll leave that upto the reviewers. Sound like a decent idea?**

 **Okikun I have no idea why so many people like the idea of Fang and Vincent, but I like doing it because of the personality clash. Fang is very forward and Vincent is reserved, so you can make the 'chase' awkward, funny or serious.**

 **FF7 Remake news: Now you may be thinking, I haven't seen any news, but there is some. Go watch the new ffXV kingsglaive trailer. I know it's not final fantasy 7 but trust me. Pause the video at 1:50 and again at around 1:56 and tell me what you see in the review. It looks AWESOME!**


	62. One Winged Angel

**Cloud's POV**

Sephiroth rises slowly from the dark abyss where his former body fell. Six white wings replace his lower limbs, and a serrated black wing rests where his right arm once was. The two silvery bangs that often hid his cat like eyes were gone, allowing us an undisturbed view of his frightening grin. I can feel the energy radiating off him as his white wings pulse beneath him slowly, raising the son of Jenova above us. There was nothing human left any more.

"Do you see now, Cloud? I am a God to you." Sephiroth states with a smug tone.

"You're no God of mine!" I roar.

With a sword in each hand, I run at Sephiroth, who points his blackened wing at me as if it was his Masamune. My buster sword makes first contact with the limb, which goes from being flexible to as stiff as mithril. He uses his wing's sharp tip like a rapier, thrusting and jabbing with blistering speed, which takes both of my weapons to counter. The speed of Sephiroth's stabs continue to rise until I'm unable to counter and get knocked to the ground. I start to climb to my feet as the former Soldier slashes with his razor like wing, but I manage to bring the crystal sword up to block the attack. Or so I thought.

The crystal sword shatters on impact, showering me with shards from the blade, and with nothing between me and his wing, I receive a large slash across my chest. I quickly search for my cure materia, only to feel the wound start to heal. I look over my shoulder to find Yuffie with an emerald orb in her hand, which glowed as she held it in her clenched fist in my direction. The sound of Vincent's sabatons passing me as I stand back up catches my attention, and I have a good idea of what's to come.

"Perhaps my curse can be my redemption.." The former Turk mutters as he takes a stand. "To think such a beautiful woman could give birth to a monster like you.."

Sephiroth simply watched with curiosity as bat-like wings burst from Vincent's back and his once deep crimson eyes start to glow bright amber. His skin turns a pale grey as more demonic features sprout from his body, and the hand that grips his pistol becomes clawed. This demon Vincent had become was different to the werewolf like beast I had seen him transform into on occasion, but even with his new, frightening form, Sephiroth never flickered. Raising his left hand in the air, Sephiroth begins to build up a blue energy, which he throws at Vincent.

"Look out!" I shout, discarding the handle of my broken sword so I can search frantically for my enemy skill materia.

The demonic Vincent wraps his body in his bat like wings, only to throw them open when the blast hit, dispersing the energy around the room. I don't wait for Sephiroth to make a second strike as I summon Odin. The former turk opens fire as my summon materializes from the blackened void with a lance of pure red light.

"Everyone, use summons!" Tifa shouts as a red glow spills from her clenched fist.

Shiva takes form in front of the barmaid from a cloud of icy mist as the others all pull out their chosen summon materia. Vincent takes flight, narrowly avoiding Sephiroth's blade like limb, while Odin gallops in on his six legged horse. My warrior summon throws his lance at the former soldier and it manages to pierce one of the six white limbs that kept him afloat. Sephiroth lets out a grunt and strikes the red lance with his blade like wing, shattering it like he did my sword, before sending a blast towards Odin. The energy beam impacts at the base of my summon's horse, knocking it and it's rider down. To my surprise, Odin did not fade away, but instead climbed to his feet and withdrew his sword, as it it knew what was at stake here.

As my summon marches towards Sephiroth, Shiva vanishes into mist, only to materialize in front of our enemy. She calls up an icy fog around the former Soldier, which creates a build up of ice upon his body, slowing him down. Me and Tifa try to maintain our focus on our ruby materia as they exchange blows with Sephiroth, but what little light in the cave fades in an instant, and our bodies rack with pain.

"Sh.. Shadow flare.." Tifa says weakly as she collapses where she stood, loosing her concentration on her materia, which causes Shiva to dissipate back into the icy mist.

I hold on a few seconds longer, allowing Odin to deal an extra strike, before he too was involuntarily dismissed. The pain on my body relinquishes just before I'm about to pass out, thanks to a well aimed shuriken, which implants itself right into Sephiroth's chest. As I shake off the pain, Vincent folds in his wings from a great hight, and fires himself towards the seven winged man like a missile, knocking him down onto the rocky ground.

"Gimme a boost!" I hear Cid shout from behind.

On instinct, I return my buster sword to my back, but keep a tight grip on the handle as I kneel down. As soon as I feel the former pilot's boots run up my blade, I spring back onto my feet and draw my sword, catapulting Cid over Sephiroth, who had barely made it a few inches off the ground. He falls like a thunderbolt and buries his spear into one of our enemy's wings, pinning him to the floor.

"Stand clear!" Nanaki shouts as his Bahamut summon appears behind him.

Our whole group of seven dive out of the way of the dragon's wings as it swoops down low when it passes. Nanaki's summon lets out a roar so ear piercing that several stalactites fall from the roof, but are rendered harmless by barret's precise machine gun fire, which turns them into dust. Bahamut positions himself over Sephiroth, who manages to force his wing through the Spear, but couldn't get clear of the dragon's blast. A blinding blue light precedes a shockwave, which knocks us all off our feet, but to my horror, I see Sephiroth's cat like eyes shining through the cloud of dust.

"Pathetic.." Sephiroth says condescendingly. "Would you like me to show you true power?"

Not wanting to find out what he meant, I use my ultima materia as I climb to my feet, and sprint towards Sephiroth. I only get a few steps when my view shatters like glass, and I'm no longer inside the northern crater. I look around the blackness of space, at the sea of stars that dotted the jet black canvas with spots of light. This was another of of Sephiroth's illusions..

"Stop playing games!" I growl.

"This is no game." Sephiroth answers. "This is what will happen when you fail.." 

For a moment, I feel like I'm stood in Bugenhagen's observatory, gazing around at the 3d model of our solar system, but when I feel the heat on my face from a passing meteor, I know this vision was something more. We can do little else but watch as the burning rock decimates planet after planet, before burying itself into the sun. I keep my sword out in front of me, expecting a sneak attack from Sephiroth, but it doesn't come. Instead, the vision of the sun starts to flare up, before exploding with a fiery rage. I quickly cast big guard on the group, but my skin still sears and my clothing smoulders from the blast of heat, that I knew to be nothing more than a vision.

I drop my sword when the grip becomes too hot to hold and drop to the ground. My already mangled pauldron burns into my shoulder, forcing me to rip it off and cast it aside as I roll onto my back defeated. It takes me a few deep breaths just to regain the strength to lift up my head to look for the others. I see Vincent first, who's still body was slowly starting to revert to his human form. Tifa lay next to him, also deathly still, but I took relief in her chest gently dilating. Movement catches my eye next to Barret, and it was Yuffie, who lay underneath Nanaki; who must have used his body to shield her as best he could from the attack. The young Wutian rolls onto her front; still underneath Nanaki and looks at me with her purple tinted eyes.

"Cloud… The materia.." She says weakly, before turning her attention to Nanaki.

It takes a second for what she said to register, but when it does, I pull out the crimson orb she gave me only a few hours ago.

"Tell me, Cloud. Do you know where Serah is?" I hear Sephiroth's voice.

"Shut up.." I mutter as I roll over and struggle up to my feet.

"She's stood on the same spot that her sister killed a dear friend of yours."

"Shut up!" I roar.

"What she doesn't know is that by releasing Holy, she will be casting her sister's crystal into the Lifestream." He explains, briefly giving me a view of Claire. "But don't worry, I'll spare her the grief and shatter your lover's crystal myself." He smiles wickedly as he turns to face the crystallized woman.

"No!" I roar, squeezing the crimson orb so tightly that I almost shatter it.

My world turns black yet again, and I don't think I could take another of Sephiroth's attacks. My only reassurance comes from the former Soldier, who looks as confused as I am. I look around the blackened void as it starts to develop a deep red hue, when something shot across Sephiroth from right to left. An armoured knight cleaves through the Silver haired man with a two handed sword so quickly that he didn't have time to react. I relax my grip on my still warm sword as I realize I was not in any immediate danger, and watch as Sephiroth desperately scans the area where the knight vanished.

I smile wickedly at the false God as another armour clad knight rushes inn from behind, embedding a spear into his back. Again, Sephiroth turns to find his attacker, but he had already disappeared into the crimson void. More knights appear, slashing, stabbing and casting magic on the former Soldier, until the twelfth delivers a blow which knocks the winged man do the ground. Thinking that the summon was over, I stomp towards Sephiroth with my sword held tightly in my hand, but I hear the metallic jingle of more armoured footsteps. I turn around, just as an ornately armoured knight walks past me. The man must have been eight foot tall, with a deep red, velvet cape, which trailed across the floor as he made his way towards Sephiroth. Stopping at the downed god's feet, my summon draws his great sword and brings it down on him with incredible force.

The red void shatters a second later, and I look around to find that I was back in the northern crater. By now, the others had healed each other as best they could, and where now all sharing a relieved smile. I turn back to Sephiroth, who's body was now starting to break up and fade away. He looks at me without fear or remorse, and keeps the wicked smile across his face right until he fades to nothing.

"It's over.." I mutter to myself.

" _Not for you, Cloud. Serah has already reached the city. Soon, someone else you hold close to your heart will die because of your weakness."_ I hear Sephiroth's last words echo in my head, laughing as it fades to silence.

I look on to Holy, which remains solid in the centre of the void, beyond my reach. I saw no way of reaching her, and knowing that Serah could release Holy at any moment, I'm left with only one option; and an impossible one at that. I head to get out of this crater and stop Serah, before she unknowingly killed her older sister.

"We need to get to the Ancient city, now!" I roar, earning myself a nod from the group.

My eyes quickly dart around the room for a way out, but one is made for us by Barret, who unleashes a hail of bullets at the dangling stalagmites that encompassed the hole we jumped down to get here. The huge stone spikes crash down, creating a makeshift ramp which everyone runs up, following Cid. I follow from the rear, stopping just before I get to the top to take a final look at Claire's crystallized form.

"I'll come back for you.. I promise.." I whisper, before finally pulling my eyes away and sprinting to catch up.

I get within a few feet of Tifa, when a shiver runs down my spine. Digging my boots into the ground, I grind to a halt, causing the others to stop as well.

"...I feel it.." I mutter as my heart fills with dread.

"What?." Tifa asks with a concerned tone.

"He's still.. here.." I whisper as the pain becomes too great and I drop down to my knees. "He's laughing.."

 **Serah's POV**

"You sure you know where you're going?" Fang asks me.

"Yeah." I answer as I walk down towards the ancient village that housed a hidden city.

"Have you been here before?" Vanille asks curiously.

"I've seen it before." I tell her. "I feel like I'm being guided to the right spot."

"How do you think the other's are getting on?" The younger Pulsan wonders.

"That blonde guy has some fight in him." Fang praises. "Vincent seems to be quite capable too, from what I saw of him."

"So you only learned Vincent's name?" I laugh. "Interesting."

"Oh shut up" The brunette huffs. "You're turning into Vanille."

"Then how come when Serah warmed up and took Vincent's cloak off, to instantly claimed it for your own?" Vanille continues to press her oldest friend.

"Can't a girl be cold!?" The huntress shouts as her cheeks flush.

"We'd believe you if you weren't sweating." I laugh.

"Ah, to hell with ya both. I'm scouting ahead." Fang groans, stomping into the distance.

Our conversation about Fang's love life continued, and I find myself trying to remember the last time I laughed out loud like this. All of that changed though when I walked through the trees and into a familiar clearing. The pool that I saw in Cloud's past was right in front of me, and for a moment, the vision of him carrying the body of his friend into the water runs through my mind. The sorrow and compassion in the words he whispered to Aeris just before he let her go would stay with me forever.

"We need to go in there." I tell my friends, pointing to the huge conch shell that sat behind the small pool of water.

"You said we where lookin' for a city." Fang frowns.

"Trust me, just go inside." I smile.

The three of us enter the shell and climb down the hidden, crystal staircase that leads us to the ancient city. My eyes fixate themselves on the altar, where I had the potential to save the world.

 **Cloud's POV**

"Cloud!" I hear Tifa's concerned voice scream as I collapse.

I feel my consciousness leave my body, and I don't resist. My eyes shut as I feel like my body is floating down a gentle stream. All of the sounds and sights of my past flood my mind, and I try to hold on to the ones of Claire, hoping to linger with them just a little longer. For a brief moment, I'm back in Wutai, and with my lips pressed up against Claire's. A slice of happiness I fear I'd never know again. Another shiver runs down my spine, and I open my eyes to find Sephiroth waiting for me, just how I remembered him.

"I killed you.." I growl after landing in the darkness in front of Sephiroth.

"You still don't understand, do you?" He grins. "I can't be killed. I'm a part of you."

"Even God's can die." I tell him, thinking of Etro.

"Then I suggest you do it quickly, Serah is knelt in the dried blood of the ancient."

Sephiroth removes his black coat and casts it aside, before finally picking up his giant sword. I didn't know if this was a battle inside my own head, or inside the lifestream, but I hoped that this would be the end of it. Drawing my sword, I march towards the silver haired General. Sephiroth springs into action the second that I'm in range of his blade, but I parry his slash away and thrust the buster sword at his chest. He leaps back before he's impaled and slashes again, getting so close to my head that I see tiny strands of blonde hair fall down in front of my eyes.

The cyan eyed man jumps high into the air and slashes, sending an arc of energy my way. I turn my sword so that it's wide body shields my own, absorbing the impact. I wince form the force, giving Sephiroth the split second he needed to stab his sword through one of the materia holes on the buster sword, and straight through my body. He walks towards me, knowing I couldn't lift my sword, as it would drag his own through my body.

"You don't need this body any more." Sephiroth says softly. "Give in. Let the lifestream take you. Lightning will be dead in moments anyway."

"Never!" I roar, stepping forward and impaling myself further.

Now in reach of him, I land a right hook on Sephiroth's jaw, causing him to stumble back and relinquish his grip on the Masamune. I grip his blade and pull it out of my body, freeing up my own as I do. I feel a power flowing through my body that I'd never felt before, and I channel it all into an attack. Kicking off the ground, I launch myself at Sephiroth, who was unable to move quick enough. My sword cleaves through his body, but I couldn't stop myself. I turn around and slash upwards, slicing open his back. In the same motion, I roll my wrist and direct my sword's momentum back down, cutting him across the back of his knees.

Sephiroth turns to face me as his legs give way from under him. I look into his shocked eyes as I bury my blade into his chest, causing his cat like slits to narrow even further. Retracting my sword from his body, I continue to hack and slash, expecting the power that had built up to fade, but it only grows stronger. With blood pouring from the man, I turn my back to him and start to walk away. I only make it a few steps before the unquenchable need to make him suffer took over. Throwing my blood stained sword behind my head, I turn to the dying man and sprint towards him, leaping into the air and delivering a final, all powerful blow.

"Stay out of my head.." I tell his fading body.

The darkness in my head fades away, and I see a hand reaching out to me from above.

" _Let's go, Cloud."_

"Claire?"

My vision returns in an instant to find Tifa shouting down at me from the platform above. The ground begins to shake violently, and the cave starts to break up. I turn to holy, which is starting to dissolve and fall into the lifestream below. Claire's figure shifts as the orb that contains her crumbles, and my body is sprinting towards her before my mind has even registered what's going on.

"No!" I scream as she falls.

I go to leap off the edge, to dive in after her, but something pulls me back.

"You'll die!" I hear Cid shout down my ear as he tries to drag me away from the edge.

"Let me go!" I struggle.

"There's nothing we could have done!" Barret argues, also trying to drag me away from the edge.

"Get off of me!- Claire! Claire!" I scream deliriously as I struggle.

"Cloud, listen to me!" Nanaki barks. "We need to leave!"

"I'm sorry, Cloud.. But I won't let you die here."" Tifa says as she stands in front of me.

My eyes widen as she recoils her fist, and before I know it, my body goes limp.

" _Damn girl! You knocked his ass out!"_

" _We need to get out of here! I won't let him die after everything that's happened."_

" _Then let's bounce!"_

 **15 minutes later**

"Claire!?" I shout as I sit bolt up right so fast that my head starts to spin.

"Well good mornin' sleepin' beauty." Cid teases.

"...What happened?" I ask.

"You tried to throw yourself into the lifestream.. So we- and when I say we, I mean Tifa- knocked you out and carried you to safety." Yuffie explains, causing the barmaid to blush and turn her face away.

"She's gone.. Isn't she?" I ask as everyone but Nanaki averted my gaze.

"There is a possibility that her body could be flowing through the lifestream as yours did." He tells me.

"So she could wash up somewhere?" I ask, feeling a spark of hope ignite in my chest.

"It may be highly unlikely, but we know it's possible." Nanaki continues, making sure I don't get my hopes up. "Come on. We need to go pick up Serah and the others."

"Serah… She can't know.." I mutter.

 **Serah's POV**

"Do you hear that?" Vanille asks as a gentle hum sound from above.

"It must be the others in the airship." Fang suggests.

"You know what that means, right? They won!" I cheer. "Come on, lets go see them!"

The three of us run to the surface just as the airship touches down near the edge of the ancient village. I break into a sprint, eager to see them, and before long, I'm stood underneath Cid's pride and joy. Scurrying up the rope, I rush through the doors, past the engine room and onto the bridge, where I find seven bloodied and bruised people with exhausted looks on their faces. I run up to Cloud and hug him tightly, but I instantly release him when he winces in pain.

"Sorry!" I say sheepishly. "I did good, didn't I?" I say proudly.

"You did great.." He answers, but never looks me in the eyes.

"You discover anything about Light from Sephiroth?" I ask.

"Nothing.. Sorry.." He says, turning his back to me.

"Hey, what's wrong?" I demand, feeling like something was wrong.

"He's just tired, pinky." Cid shouts. "Give him a minute. The kid took a beatin' down there."

"Look! Midgar!" Yuffie shouts, as she presses her face up against the window.

"Are we too late?" Tifa asks, panic stricken.

"Holy is coming." Vincent tells her, pointing to a pale blue wave of light which approaches from the horizon.

Holy washes over the blood red meteor, but it still continues on it's slow descent to Midgar. Was it released too late? Or was holy never enough in the first place? I can't believe after everything, the world was going to end anyway..

"Wait a damn minute! What's gonna happen to Midgar?" Barret shouts. "We can't let that happen!"

"What's that?!" Tifa shouts, pointing to the northern continent.

"...Lifestream." I mutter as I watch the cyan energy burst from the ground.

"It's coming from everywhere!" Nanaki adds, causing us to look in all directions.

Soon, the energy became so dense that it covered the surface of the planet with a veil of light which becomes too much for our eyes to bare. We turn ourselves from the glass until the glow fades, and we're left with an eerie stillness. Meteor was gone..

"It's over.." Vanille whispers to herself as she looks down upon the half destroyed city of Midgar.

 **A/N: Just like to make a quick apology for the delay. I've had a bit of a nightmare with computers this last week. Upon trying to send all my documents over from my old laptop hard drive to my new computer, I made the fatal mistake of putting the hdd board side down on my metal computer case, frying the disk. So I've lost every chapter I've ever written and 8 years worth of personal stuff, including ¾ of this chapter which I had to rewrite and the start of a great mako war chapter. Then I started to write this chapter AGAIN, only for windows to do a clean install of windows 10 without my permission, loosing my chapter for the second time. So yeah.. all in all, this new computer has fought me all the way.**

 **The battle was dragged out a little, but everyone gets annoyed when I make them short. When you're playing the game Sephiroth is quite underwhelming considering he's the final boss. You can finish each form in 2 moves I think and the 3rd you cant loose.**

 **The serahxCloud thing has been scrapped. It was never going to be anything serious, just a drunken, lonely kiss on Serah's part, making it awkward for them both, but like a lot of you, I just couldn't see them doing it. But as it had crossed my mind and a reviewer also mentioned it, I thought I'd put it to the vote. As for the other characters.. They will be introduced slowly; and while I don't particularly like hope, he will also be making an appearance. What do people think of HopexYuffie? It's been asked on this story and in GMW (but I made him bad in that muahaha!) never understood the whole HopexLight thing. it's a bit weird as he's a kid.**

 **Aaaaanyway…. Really enjoyed reading all of your reviews, it means a lot that you all take the time (so much so that I've spent the better half of a week swearing at a computer like Cid Highwind so I could get the next chapter done XD)**

 **As for the ffxv thing. Diamond weapon was shown smashing the city up in the new trailer. Looked epic!**


	63. A Fresh Start

**Yuffie's POV**

With the planet scarred but okay, Tifa makes the suggestion to go see Aeris, and tell her that we had succeeded in stopping that Shinra monster. Everyone agrees, so Cid has the Highwind hover over the pool, just as the sun begins to vanish behind the horizon. We all head back down and line the edge of the water, silently paying our respects to the bravest person I'd ever met. Cloud stands next to me, bowing his head low. So far, he'd done a masterful job of avoiding Serah, but the concerned glances she kept throwing in his direction told me that she knew something was wrong.

"Bye.." I hear Vincent's gravelly voice mutter, and by the time I turned around, he was already walking away.

"What's with him? Is that the way he's gonna part with us?" I frown. "Hold it! Hold it! How can you part with us like that? We're old war buddies, you know."

My protests go unheard, so I chase after him and block his path. The jerk doesn't even make eye contact with me, and continues to stare intensely in the direction he wanted to walk in. I feel disappointed that he wasn't going to stay, and I knew I couldn't stop him. Reluctantly, I step aside.

"Take care.." He says, still with his stoic expression, but I felt he meant his words.

"Looks like he has somewhere to go.." I say sheepishly as I return to the group.

"To his woman probably." Cid suggests as Fang crosses her arms. "Bout time I got goin' too."

"Yeah, same here." Barret adds.

"Everyone has someone they wanna go see." I say, realizing that most of us had loved ones to return to. Still.. I wished that this wasn't goodbye. "You know, you guys sure are taking this lightly."

"It just means we know that we can always meet again." Cid tells me as he starts to return to the ship.

"Right." Tifa agrees. "let's get back to the ship."

"What about all of the materia?" Barret asks, stopping us in our tracks as my brain resorts back to its old ways. "What do we do with all of this?"

"Hey, wait!" I shout. "Can I have all the- no… can I have half of the materia? I'll bring them back to Wutai with me and keep them in safe custody. I was in the middle of hunting materia when I met you guys." I explain, but quickly stop myself to avoid bringing up Lightning. "To be honest with you all, I had no idea what you were doing; or know much about your pasts. But I fought with you all, didn't I? How many times have I saved you all from pinches?" _Damn, even I don't believe that.._

"Yeah, you've helped us a lot." Tifa says with a bright smile, taking me by surprise.

"What do you think, Barret?" Cloud asks, opening his mouth for the first time since the battle.

"Why the hell are you asking Barret for?" I frown, knowing my chances where about to take a nose dive.

"Hmm.. It's true that Yuffie's been a good friend, and proved herself-"

"She did rob us all. You remember that, right?" Cid interrupts, earning a scowl from me.

"I have I dream-" I begin, only for Cid to continue with his sarcasm.

"Here we go.. The Wutai speech again.." The pilot sighs.

"Shut up old man!" I growl. "I want to restore Wutai to the way it was. To do that, materia is crucial."

"Restoration?" The pilot continues. "In that case, wouldn't Midgar need it more?"

"You're right, Cid." Cloud answers to my annoyance. "Hey, Yuffie. How bout this? We'll give you all the materia-"

"Alright!" I cheer prematurely.

"-But I keep it in safe custody." He adds.

"Are you trying to trick a child here?" I frown.

"You got it all wrong. Most of our materia is used for battle. It really won't be of much use to you. So we'll just share the ones that will be of use, and I'll keep all of the dangerous ones." Cloud says.

"I guess you're right. Not like there's a Shinra left to fight." I finally agree. "I guess this is goodbye.."

 **Tifa's POV**

After dropping Yuffie and Nanaki off at their home towns, Cid takes us north of Cosmo canyon, to Nibelheim. As our hometown came into view, Cloud shook his head, and I felt the same way too. There was no nostalgia of feeling of belonging when we looked down own the dimly lit town. Only a sea full of nightmares awaited us down there.

"I shouldn't have come.." He says to himself.

"Cloud's right." I concur. "Cid, will you drop us off in Kalm, with Barret and the others?"

"Sure thing." He answers, spinning the teak wheel of the Highwind, which made it bank right sharply.

Barret was practically dancing round the bridge at the thought of seeing his daughter again, and he wasn't the only one. Marlene was staying with Elmyra Gainsborough, who was now living with relatives in Kalm. I knew when we got there, Cloud would go to her, begging forgiveness. Thankfully, Aeris' adopted mother bore no ill will towards any of us. After a couple of hours, we reach Kalm, and I pray that there's somewhere to eat and stay the night. We all say our goodbyes, and the pilot gives us his phone number after breaking free of Serah and Vanille's bear hugs. We promise to all meet up sometime once everyone is settled, and within moments, we're waving off the Highwind, which flies off to the west.

"I'm actually gonna miss Cid." I grin.

"Me to." Barret agreed. "Man told it how it was."

"Yeah, he always cheered me up." Serah smiles. "Is this place always so busy?"

"People must be taking refuge here, away from Midgar." Cloud guesses.

"Maybe there's something we can do to help." Vanille suggests as she lets out a yawn.

"Cloud? Can we go to Midgar tomorrow? I'd really like to help in any way I can." I ask, feeling guilty for everything I had done as a member of Avalanche to the people of Midgar.

"Sure. If that's okay with everyone else." He replies.

Everyone hums in agreement, and we all follow Barret to the house Marlene was staying in. I couldn't wait to see her face.

 **Serah's POV (Following Morning)**

My eyes open to the sound of bacon hissing in a pan. For a moment, I thought I was dreaming, as it was usually me that did the cooking. The smell hits me next, causing me to rise, as if being summoned by it. The sofa that me and Vanille had been sleeping on was tiny, but I felt refreshed after what I thought would be a lifetime of fighting. I let out a loud yawn and climb off the sofa; accidentally stepping on Fang, who just mumbled something offensive before rolling over on the floor to continue her nap. I let out a smile at the Pulsan, who reminded me of Cid, and head into the kitchen.

"Need any help?" I ask Tifa, who seems to be a master of the kitchen.

"I'm good. Could you go and wake the boys up and tell them breakfast will be ready in five minutes?"

"Sure thing." I nod, skipping out of the kitchen and into a rear dining room.

The large table that used to be the centerpiece of the room was pushed unceremoniously up against the wall, to be replaced with two blankets that contained Cloud and Barret. I have to bite my tongue to stop myself from laughing as soon as I see Barret in his pristine white sailors uniform that he used as pajamas. Cloud on the other hand lay on his chest with his burnt shirt removed. I let out a sigh when I find my sister's knife clutched tightly in his grip as usual. It was beautiful and tragic at the same time. My sister was on his mind every second of the day, and I pray that we find her soon so he could get a decent night's sleep.

"Wakey wakey!" I shout. "Breakfast is ready!"

The pair of them mutter something inaudible, but I receive a weak smile from the blonde as he starts to come around, and a thumbs up from Barret, who starts to sit up. I leave them to it and return to the kitchen, where I find Fang and Vanille hovering around Tifa's food like a pair of hungry vultures.

"It smells so good!" Vanille squeals.

"You got that right." Fang agrees.

"Help yourselves." She smiles proudly.

Within minutes, we're all awake and tucking into Tifa's masterfully cooked breakfast. Barret's adopted daughter sat on his knee and helped herself to his food, before she noticed my hair.

"Ooo! It's just like that lady's who rescued us!" She grins.

Everyone glances at Cloud, expecting him to bury his face and sink himself into depression, but instead he smiles at her. I too couldn't help but smile. The innocence of the child was a wonderful thing. She had no concept of a potentially awkward conversation, or the deep feeling Cloud had for me sister; she only saw things in black and white. Lightning rescued her, and for that she was grateful.

"Your right, Marlene. This is Serah. She's Claire's little sister." He tells her with a smile.

"Then she's my friend too!" The little girl cheers, making me blush.

"Hey, Serah. You used to be a teacher, right?" Barret asks. "How would you feel about being Marlene's teacher?"

"Really?" I gasp. "I'd be honored."

"Then it's settled then. Who knows, when we get to Midgar, you might be able to open up a school." Tifa smiles.

"What about you two?" Cloud asks Fang and Vanille.

"You are looking at two masters of rebuilding homes. When you live in a world where your village is getting attacked constantly, you learn how to build stuff." Fang answers.

"Then let's get ready and go." Barret says finally as his last piece of toast is swiped from under him by his daughter.

We all head off to Midgar within the hour, and although it was nearly a day's walk, the time flew by as Barret and Marlene pointed things out to us along the road. I'd been on this world for a while now, but I still didn't really know anything. I just followed the others on their journey. Now it was all over though, I would get to explore a whole new world.

"Damn.. Midgar's in ruins.." Barret sighs.

"Looks like the people have settled on the edge of town between sector three and four." Cloud replies.

The seven of us head into the makeshift camp, where exhausted families huddle around fires, and people sort through the salvage.

"This is awful.." Tifa sighs, shaking her head as we walk through the crowd.

"Well I ain't standin' round doin' nothin'!" Barret shouts angrily. "Let's get to work!"

"How will we find each other?" Vanille asks.

"We'll meet underneath the sector five plate when the sun sets." Cloud suggests, pointing to the slice of Midgar that hangs precariously over the slums. "Hey.." He adds, grabbing Fang's arm before she had the chance to leave. "Don't venture into the center of Midgar.. It's not safe."

Fang went to protest, but the intense look from Cloud's mako eyes told her to nod. She was never one for taking orders; even from my sister, but I think she knew he was genuinely concerned for her. She heads off to explore with Vanille, and we too go our separate ways. I stick with Tifa and Marlene, and Cloud follows Barret to a crowd of men who stood around a vaguely organized pile of scrap. Even from far away, I could hear Barret's loud voice giving friendly commands and advice, only for Cloud to follow behind and quietly correct him.

"Tifa Lockhart?" A voice questions from behind.

"Yeah- Hey, I know you!" Tifa gasps when she turns to find a middle aged woman smiling at her. "You were a regular in my bar!"

"So it is you! I thought you'd died when that plate fell!" She says with great joy.

"I was, er… out of town." Tifa answers sheepishly. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Well actually, we could do with a cook. We've received a supply of fish from Wutai of all places. It arrived a few hours ago but fish was rare in the slums and I don't know anyone who can cook it." The woman tells us. "To think that Shinra isn't down here helping it's people, but a nation we were taught to hate is the first to offer aid."

"Must be Yuffie." I smile at the brunette. "We'll help. I used to live on a beach. Cooking fish is my thing."

"Perfect! Thank you so much!"

The woman leads us to a large cache of fish, which sit in crates filled with ice. The pair of us look at each other both trying to work out how we'd cook all of this, until I spot the boys in the distance stripping large sheets of mesh from the rubble to dig deeper for building materials.

"Tifa, try and find some wood. I have an idea." I grin before darting off.

"Excuse me." I say, gaining the attention of one of the men who stood atop a collapsed house. "Can I borrow this?" I add, pointing to the mesh that on closer inspection looked a little like chicken wire.

"Sure. We can't make a roof out of that." He laughs.

I drag the mesh I would turn into a giant grill back to Tifa, who was breaking up a couple of wooden chairs. As soon as she sees what I'm carrying she understands, and within the hour we had a ten foot long grill, powered by the wood the barmaid had salvaged. We start to throw the fish on our makeshift barbeque as Marlene prepares vegetables in a pan salvaged from a nearby house. It seemed strange considering the circumstances, but I couldn't help but smile. This reminded me of when we rebuilt Bodhum on Pulse.

"Do you think you'll ever tell anyone what you did?" I ask Tifa out of the blue.

"What do you mean?" She asks, keeping constant watch over her food.

"Well look over there." I say, pointing to Cloud, who was helping two men lift a steel beam into position. "They're stood next to the man who saved their lives; the planet's life.. And they have no idea."

"I guess all we want now is some normality." She answers. "Besides.. We've done some terrible things too.."

"Maybe you have. But if you're trying to atone for it then you're a good person." I smile. "Now get your game face on. We've got about a thousand more fish to cook."

With all of the food cooked, Tifa sticks two fingers in her mouth and lets out an ear splitting whistle, which draws everyone to her. The men and women who had been working tirelessly to build new homes stagger towards us with tired eyes and dirty faces. They all look ready to collapse, but the smell of freshly cooked food keeps them going. One by one, me, Tifa and Marlene serve the food, which receives the highest of praises. An hour later, the army of workers get back to work for a few more hours, only stopping at sunset, were it becomes too dark to see.

The three of us return to our predetermined meeting point, and Marlene skips all the way there. To our surprise, Fan and Vanille are already waiting; probably because she had nothing else to do after Cloud warned her not to go deep into Midgar. Cloud and Barret come nearly half an hour later, both looking like they'd been to war. In their hand was an oil powered heater, some fruit and a bottle of Corel wine.

"I ain't cut out to be no builder." Barret huffs as he throws himself onto the ground.

Cloud does the same after handing Barret the wine and fruit, as he goes to work and concocts something that looks like a drink people used to drink on my world. Sangria. The exhausted Marlene falls asleep on her father's leg, using it as a pillow as we begin to reminisce about happier times. We pass the bottle around between us, and I can't help but notice that the laughter builds as the bottle does another lap. Barret tells us about time time he went to propose to his wife after drinking a bottle of the stuff he'd just made, and the time he fell down a well. I don't think any of us had laughed so hard.

"Hey, I got an idea." Barret says as the laughter dies down. "Why don't we make this stuff and sell it?"

"We?" Cloud frowns.

"No, fool. We can't draw in customers. Tifa'll do it."

"Me?" She says hesitantly.

"Yeah, you're good at it." Barret tells her. "The way I look at it is, the people of Midgar can be split into two types. Those who are dilly dallying around, who still can't accept whats happenin' to this city, and those that are working to live on. Everyone's got problems and they all tryin' to deal with it in their own ways. Solution to everyone's problems? Alcohol."

"Why's that?" Fang asks.

"I don't know about you guys, but I haven't laughed like this in a long time. Maybe that's what this city needs." He answers as we all turn to Tifa, who looks at the ground hesitantly for a moment.

"I understand why you wouldn't want to.." Cloud says, placing a hand on her shoulder. "But let's give it a go. If it gets too tough then we can just stop."

"Look at what happened today. You remember everyone's faces when they ate your food?" I ask her. "They were so happy and grateful."

"I guess." Tifa reluctantly agrees.

"Now that's out of the way, let's discuss the real problem." Fang says. "Rebuilding this town."

The following day, Barret; accompanied by Fang set off with a plan to make a town they had named 'Edge'. Despite everyone's best efforts, there was no organization between the mass of homeless men and women, so last night, Fang suggested that we took control. Everyone they had helped since we got here quickly rallied behind them and work began straight away. It took nearly six months of hard work, but our town quickly grew from a couple of badly built houses, to streets and streets of well constructed buildings. Me and Tifa remained in the still unnamed bar, which was only a day away from being opened. When everyone got back that night, we sat around the bar's largest table, throwing out ideas for what it should be called.

It seemed inevitable that an argument would break out over the name choice, but the smallest person in the room silenced us all.

"I like 7th Heaven." Marlene says, looking puzzled as to why it hadn't been suggested already.

Cloud had already told me that the one name Tifa would try to forget was 7th Heaven, as it would bring up her past. We all turn to Tifa, who looks down at the young girl's innocent face with a smile.

"Why?" She asks Marlene.

"Because it was fun! If we call it 7th Heaven, then it will be fun again." Marlene answers with a happy smile.

 **Tifa's POV**

It was the one name I was hoping to not get brought up. The past reminded me of all the bad things I did as a member of Avalanche. How could I forget my past if I kept the name? I look down on the little girl I consider to be like a daughter, and remember that she wasn't a part of the chaos. She was just a little girl who saw the bar as a home that everyone she loved lived in. I couldn't erase my past. I could only acknowledge it and live on.

"Okay, Marlene. 7th Heaven it is." I smile, to the shock of the room.

The following day, I open the bar for the first time, and it was a great success. With the limited supplies, the food and drink we served was nothing special, but it didn't seem to stop the people flooding in throughout the day. I guess it was just a place where people could get away from the hardships of their own lives of an hour or two with their friends. Serah had the idea of selling juices, and making it more welcoming to children, which increased its popularity even more. People would often trade items or services if they didn't have any money, and soon we became the central hub for the community.

With Serah and Marlene's help, the bar ran like clockwork, and Barret sat in the corner, throwing anyone out who had to much to drink. Fang and Vanille had moved to the outskirts of the town, offering their services as monster hunters, but made sure to stop by every day for a drink and a catch up. Cloud; who had volunteered to keep the supply of food and drink coming to the bar traveled far and wide to secure what we needed. I was so proud that he went to such lengths to help me. He was far from social, but every day he went out to barter and trade for what we needed to keep running. The process of him negotiating was worth far more to me than any item he could ever bring back.

The door to the bar opens, and Cloud walks in with a bag filled with supplies for the bar. He places them on the table with a distracted look on his face, and walks off to his room to have an early night. Noticing his mood, Serah makes her way over to me with a concerned look.

"It's been six months with no sign of my sister.. I feel awful for just saying it, but I think we need to accept she's gone." The pinkette sighs.

I didn't know what to say to her. Cloud made me swear to never tell Serah about what happened to her sister, but it was him who was unable to forget. He clung to a hope that just wasn't there, and it hurt me inside. Would I remain second best to a memory? I felt terrible for even thinking for a moment that we could rekindle what I had lost all those years ago, but there was no denying the feeling in my heart.

"You're being really strong." I smile at her. "Light would be proud."

"I guess there's only so many times someone can cheat death.." She says with a sombre tone.

The following morning, we all wake to find Cloud had already left. I worry that he's pushing himself too much, and that eventually it will overwhelm him and he'll leave. The thought makes me sick, and I spend the next few hours worrying about him, until the bar becomes too busy for me to dwell on my feelings. The phone rings, but I'm in the middle of serving a customer. Marlene; who had been doing the homework Serah had set her the night before shouts through to the bar, telling me Cloud was on the phone. It was very rare that Cloud would phone when he was out, so much so that Serah often mocked him for having a phone he never used. I practically run into the back after dealing with the customer, and take the phone off the smiling child.

"Cloud, is everything okay?" I ask, unable to hide my worried tone.

" _Yeah. Would it erm.. be okay to print out a lifetime voucher to eat and drink at the bar?"_ He asks in a manner similar to how Marlene would ask to stay up late.

"Of course." I answer, just grateful that he wasn't in trouble.

" _Thanks, Tifa. Cya later."_

I place the phone down with a smile and trot back into the bar for the final few hours before we closed. I use the time to guess what Cloud had got in exchange for a lifetime of free food, until Serah walks in.

"How was the school?" I ask, taking a bottle of wine from the shelf and pouring her a glass.

"It's almost done. Couple more weeks and I think I can open." She answers, gratefully taking the wine.

"Barret still helping with the build?" I ask.

"Helping is a bit of a strong word." Serah laughs. "He does brighten up the day though, so it's not all bad."

"Cloud not back yet?" She asks, noticing he was not sat in his usual corner.

As if one cue, a rumbling sound echos down the alley at the back of the bar. Knowing that only we used that rear alley, the pair of us go to investigate. The rumble subsides just as I open the back door, and we find Cloud dismounting a dusty, black motorcycle. He glances at me briefly, trying to work out if I'd be annoyed at what he'd brought home, but I couldn't be happier.

"I've never seen one like that before." I say enthusiastically, killing the tension.

"It'll be cheaper and safer than those rusty old things you used to rent." Serah adds.

"Oh, wow!" Marlene squeals, as she runs between us to get a closer look.

Cloud scoops her up in his arms and places her on the seat of the bike, explaining to her how everything worked. For the first time in a long while, I find him smiling, and I wonder to myself if this is what being a family feels like.

"You like it, Marlene?" He asks.

 **A/N: Hey everyone. You may have noticed that this reads a little differently, because usually a chapter is over the course of a day, but this one has spanned 6 months. 18 more months until the events of advent children take place. This has been heavily based on the novels, which take place between the original game and AC, but with a few changes, and I'd like to thank the people from Thelifestream forum for translating the novels and turning them into audio books, which have helped dramatically. Next chapter we'll introduce a bit of drama and tension, as well as a ff13 character. Oh and I think Light will be making an appearance in a chapter or 2. I think we've waited long enough as it is lol.**

 **After deciding to axe the SerahxCloud thing on your recommendations, how about a moment with Tifa? Completely one sided, but something. Only thought about it after listening to 'case of tifa' audio book, which has a sweet part in it. Thanks again for all your your comments, I really enjoy reading what everyone thinks. I'll try and get the next one done quick!**

 **Wolf**


	64. stigma

**Cloud's POV**

The wind rushes through my hair as I ride through the grassy planes between Kalm and the Chocobo farm. I can't remember the last time I felt like my world wasn't falling apart, probably because I didn't have the opportunity to sink into depression; but also because I couldn't shut Vanille up. She clings to the back of me as I power through to the farm. She had wanted to go get a job there after Tifa told her about the place, but Fang was concerned about her traveling alone. I offered to take her as I was going in that direction anyway, but my real motivation was to expand my search for Claire.

"Thanks, Cloud!" She says cheerily as she leaps off the bike and walks towards the white paddock fences.

"I'll pick you up at sunset." I reply, earning myself a 'thumbs up' from the Oerban, who skips into the farmhouse.

With her out of sight, I pull out a large map, which I had kept hidden from everyone. I fold it out across my handlebars and work out where to look next. I had marked everywhere I had searched with a red lightning bolt, and drew blue ones where people had seen someone matching her description. Up to now they had all been dead ends; with most of the sightings in Edge being of her younger sister, Serah. With the excuse of taking Vanille to the Chocobo farm, and the list of supplies I needed to get from the bar, I fold the map away and get ready to head north west towards the coastline, in the vain hope that I'd find the woman I love looking out towards the northern continent, patiently waiting for me.

"Cloud!" I hear Vanille shriek, exiting the building like it was about to explode.

Instantly, my hand dives behind me, but I let out a sigh when it finds nothing. My buster sword was uncomfortable to carry on my back when riding, and people often hid when they saw the Soldier's uniform, so I thought it best to leave the blade at the bar. _I really need to find a better way of carrying it.._

"What's wrong?" I ask calmly as she grabs hold of me tightly.

"They're dead!" She squeals. "I was only on the phone with them this morning!" The young girl starts to sob.

"Stay here." I say calmly, getting her to sit down before I went to investigate.

I walk inside slowly, checking every corner as I advance. Even when I spot three bodies on the ground in the kitchen, my eyes don't relax until I've searched the whole house. After fully satisfying myself that I wasn't about to get ambushed, I return to the three bodies that slumped over each other. The sight was stomach turning, even after everything I've seen. A father, clutching his son and daughter who lay with their heads on his chest. The sight was harrowing, but I knelt down to investigate further. All three of them had a dark black puss oozing from their mouths.

"I've seen this before.." I say to myself, remembering the mass of dead bodies that where covered in it when we began to build Edge.

"It's the stigma.. isn't it?" Vanille's voice mutters softly behind me, making my heart skip a beat.

"Go outside!" I shout a little too aggressively, as I stand up quickly to block her view, and hold her head to my chest. "Come on.. You don't need to see this.." I add, leading her outside. "I mean it this time.. Wait here.."

Vanille gives me a nod as I head into the stables, to find six chocobo's looking at me with hungry eyes. The poor things had obviously not been fed since yesterday, so I take a handful of greens and throw them into each pen, earning myself a grateful 'waark' from each one. I reach the back of the stables, where they stored the farm equipment, and rummage through the bales of hay and saddles until I find an oil powered generator. At the side of it stood a large can of oil, which I liberate from the barn and return outside.

"What are you doing!?" Vanille shouts as I start to pour the oil on the farmhouse.

"This disease has killed hundreds of people, Vanille. If someone comes here, they could spread it." I answer, hearing how cold it sounded in my head.

"What about the Chocobo's?" She asks, still not sold on my plan.

"I'll release them."

"They're not wild Chocobo's they'll die! They don't know how to find food!"

"Vanille, I know this is hard, but-"

"Why are you so cold!?" She shouts, placing her hands on her hips. "I know life is hard right now, but you've gotta stay positive!"

"I don't know what you mea-" I begin.

"The map!" She shouts, thrusting her hand down my Soldier crested belt before I had time to react. "You've been searching for Claire, but you're terrified of not finding her." Vanille adds, opening up the map and slamming her finger down onto the lightning bolt markings.

"Am I not allowed to upset that she's gone!?" I roar, trying desperately to reign in my emotion.

"Now you listen here, mister! If there's one thing I know about Light, is that she's too stubborn to die!" She shouts back, not in the least bit bothered by my tone. ".. Come here." She adds, opening up her arms.

Her small frame hugs me tightly, while I bite my tongue in an attempt to hold back the tears. Although the girl talked far to much for my liking, she had something special about her that had a calming effect; much like Aeris. After taking a couple of deep breaths, Vanille releases me from her grip and takes a step back.

"Feel any better?" The bubbly red head asks with a smile.

"A little." I nod.

"Good- hey, can Chocobo's catch the disease?"

"Seems to only affect humans."

"If I can get them to follow you, can we take them back to Fang?" She asks with puppy dog eyes.

"Go get them ready, I'll see to this." I answer, remembering the grim task that befell me.

Vanille didn't need telling twice, so she disappears into the stables as I pour the oil onto the house. This was far from the burial they deserves; especially the two children, who looked to be just a few years younger than Yuffie, but if it protected the lives of others, then there was no decision to be made. Heading inside, I pour the remainder of the oil on the stove and turn it on. The flames build quickly, but there was more than enough time to leave and help Vanille.

"You sure you know how to ride one of these things?" I ask skeptically.

"I've been riding these since I could walk." She answers defensively.

"All right then. Get on." I tell her. "Fang's not gonna be happy about this."

Vanille gives me a nod and climbs onto the nearest Chocobo, which doesn't make a fuss about carrying her. I return to my bike, glancing at the farmhouse that was now billowing with smoke, before throwing my leg over it. I fire my bike up and set off slowly, not wanting to startle the birds with the loud exhaust tone, and set off towards Kalm with Vanille and a flock of Chocobo's in toe.

"I need to make a stop at Kalm to pick up food for the bar." I tell Vanille, who rides beside me, as the town comes into view.

"Okay!" She replies.

We reach the town after a few minutes, and I instruct Vanille to wait with the bike and the chocobo's at the edge of town. I walk part the inn where I had left Lightning, wondering to myself what sort of life she could have had if I hadn't left the that note. That building was the start of her cruel destiny; one that would build up a feeling within me I never thought could exist, only to snatch it away. Averting my gaze back to the centre of town to stop the bitterness towards my situation building, I head towards the market stalls where I would buy what I needed. I consult the list Tifa had made, making sure I don't forget anything, and walk to the first stall.

"Excuse me, how much for all this?" I ask the man, offering up my list to him.

"Out of stock." He answer's bluntly, keeping his arms crossed.

"I can see them right there." I answer, pointing to some of the fruit on his stall.

"We don't serve Shinra." The stall owner replies, spitting on the ground when he says 'Shinra'.

"I'm not with- Forget it.." I sigh, turning to walk away.

"Hey!" I hear the voice of a woman shout. "You will serve him!"

"But he's Shinra, Ms Gainsborough!" The man replies, making me spin on the spot to find Aeris' mother marching over.

"Do you know who this man is?!" She demands in a tone I've never heard leave the placid woman's lips. "This man stopped Sephiroth and Shinra. He is the reason that you're all still alive!"

I feel like a child getting defended by his over protective mother, and I notice everyone's eyes suddenly on me.

"Elmyra, its no trouble." I tell her, but her eyes remain fixed on the stall owner.

"Well if the nicest woman in all of Kalm says you're okay, then you're okay." The man replies. "No hard feelings? Lemmi take a look at that list."

I hand the man the list and turn to thank Elmyra, but she had vanished into the crowd. When I finally turn back around, the man has a box loaded with everything I need, waiting on the table.

"If you don't mind me asking, where are you heading with all this stuff?" The man asks me.

"Edge."

"Then how about I do you a deal? I have family I can't contact in Edge. If you deliver this phone to them, you can have the items for free, and I'll even throw in a few Gil for your troubles."

I think about it for a moment, but I eventually agree, knowing how much it would help the bar out, and any extra Gil I could raise could help make modifications for the bike. I take all of the information I could about the man's family member, as well as the package and the food for the bar. Returning to my bike, I'm happy to see Vanille had heeded my words about staying put this time, and the pair of us set off to Edge, where Fang waited patiently for Vanille's return.

"Thanks for taking me, Cloud." She smiles as Fang tries to work out why she had six chocobo's outside of her house.

"Vanille.." I say softly, tapping my belt that held the map I used to find Claire. "Not a word.."

 **Tifa's POV**

I hear Cloud's bike pull up at the back of the bar, just as I put the phone down. Elmyra had told me about Cloud's run in with a market trader, and I was concerned about it putting him off meeting new people. I head back into the front of the bar, and jog over to the table Serah and Marlene sat to do school work.

"Could you two go help Cloud with the groceries, please? I've just got to go out for half an hour." I ask them, feeling guilty for disturbing their work.

"Sure thing." They answer without question, giving me the opportunity to leave the bar unnoticed.

I head down the main street our bar was on, right to the end where the tailor who had made Cloud's 'infiltration disguise' as he called it. The dress maker was a busy man, being one of only a few people in Edge that could make such fine clothing, but I hoped I could talk him into helping me. I walk past the hair salon that was strategically placed next door, smirking at its name 'Cutting Edge', before heading inside the clothes store.

"And a what can Giuseppe do for such a pretty lady?" The man asks in an excitable foreign accent. (Think excited Italian :P)

"Do you remember the dress you made for my friend?" I ask, hoping he would remember.

"Giuseppe makes a lot of dresses for a lot of ladies." He replies.

"This customer wasn't a lady." I answer, earning myself a look from a pair of women who were browsing the shelves.

"Ahh! The pretty blonde man! He to embarrassed to ask for another dress? We live in a much more accepting time now. He's no need to be so insecure."

"No, that was- He was just- Never mind..." I sigh, feeling myself blush. "I need you to make some clothes for him- men's clothes."

"You got an idea about what he wants, Miss?"

"He wore a Soldier's uniform. Something similar, but without the Shinra stuff. Loose combat pants, with pockets. A sleeveless shirt that protects his body from the wind on a motorcycle. Some leather gloves, and a pair of heavy boots."

"And the colour? Yellow? Perhaps a light coral?" He asks, causing me to chuckle at the though of him wearing a bright yellow suit.

"Black will do fine." I grin.

"I just need his size, and then Giuseppe will get to work!"

I blush at the fact I didn't need to ask Cloud his size. I had observed him often when nobody was looking; admiring his lean form. For a brief moment, I find myself mentally undressing him, only to be snapped out of it by the tailor, who clears his throat as he waits patiently with a pen and paper. After telling him everything he needed to know, I pay the man and head back to the bar.

Upon my return, I see Serah handling the bar masterfully, serving customers while Marlene sits on top of the bar with her science book laid out in front of her. I give her a grateful smile when our eyes make contact, before they deviate to the hallway behind the bar. Cloud had just put the last of the stuff away and walks into the bar, gesturing for me to take a seat. He pours me a glass of wine, taking up infrequent role of being a bar tender, and stands behind it, ready for me to question him about his day.

"… Vanille was a little shook up, but the Chocobo's should keep her mind off it all." He says, finishing his story about the disease that had began to spread like wildfire.

"And how are you feeling about it all? I ask. "You didn't touch them did you?"

"No, and I'm all right. They weren't the first, and I doubt they'll be the last." He answers with his usual stoic tone. "I got some rare fruit and wine to try." He adds, quickly changing the subject. "And I got a good deal on it too." Cloud continues, as he hands me all of the money I had sent him out with.

"Thank you." I say proudly, leaning over the counter to give him a hug, quickly feeling awkward. "Sorry. I- erm.."

"It's all right." Cloud says softly. "I've got a couple more things to do before it gets too dark out. I won't be long."

 **Reno's POV**

"Well ill be damned.." I mutter to myself as Tseng and Elena carry a crystal figure towards the helicopter I'm expertly hovering just inches off of the ground, deep inside the northern crater.

Rude slides open the read door and takes the arms of the crystal figure as the three of them heave it into the rear of the chopper.

"That Jenova?" I ask, glancing back just briefly enough to see it had the figure of a woman.

"No, this one's Lightning." Rude answers. "Cloud Strife's friend."

"Any sign of you know who?" I ask Tseng.

"Not as of yet. We're going to continue our search for another hour before returning to the helicopter." He tells us. "Secure the body and inform Rufus of our findings."

"You got it." I nod, before donning my headset and operating the radio. "Mr President, we've found the crystallized body of Lightning- yeah, Cloud's friend. Yes sir.. understood."

"New orders?" Rude asks, returning to his co pilot seat.

"Boss said to keep looking for Jenova, and to not breathe a word to anyone about Lightning. He said she might be the key to solving all of our problems." I reply.

"You think she is the cure for the President's Geostigma?" He frowns.

"How the hell do I know? But Rufus has always got a plan."

Fifty minutes pass, and a loud crack breaks up the constant hum of the helicopter, causing the pair of us to share a glance. Three more bangs go off in repeat succession, and something hits the fuselage of the chopper.

"Gunfire." We say in unison just as Reno jumps into the back to take the rifle which was mounted on the back wall.

I rotate the chopper a few degrees to the left to get a better look, just in time to see Tseng and Elena sprinting towards us with their pistols firing blindly behind them. Red hot cartridges bounce off the back of my chair as my partner lays down some covering fire, but well aimed shots ring out of the darkness, hitting Tseng in the leg. He throws a gloss black box to Elena, who in turn throws it to Rude, before taking a bullet herself.

"Just go! Run!" She screams. "I'll cover you're escape!" She adds, pushing Rude back into the helicopter and slamming the door shut.

Bullets rain into the helicopter, easily piercing it's thin shell, and burying themselves into some of the instruments. A series of warning lights tells me if I didn't go now, I wasn't going to make it, so I recite the Turk code in my head as I begin to ascend. _The mission comes first.. The mission comes first.._

 **Cloud's POV (Next day)**

I wake up before the sun rises and climb out of bed and grab my sword. It was uncomfortable to carry, but I didn't want to find myself on the other side of the world without a weapon. With the bar stocked up, I was not needed for the day, so I decided to drastically expand my search for Claire now that I had my motorcycle. Silently pushing my bike down the street so I wouldn't walk anyone up, I wait until I'm clear of the houses before firing it up. The second I get out of the town, I push the bike to it's limits all the way to Junon, where I board a ferry to Costa Del Sol. Assuming she'd be washed up from the sea, I follow the coastline all the way until I come to a large house that sat on the shoreline, not too far from the Gold Saucer. Parking outside the house, I knock on the door.

"Well would you look at that. One of my masterpieces has returned to me." A tanned man in his late fifties says after opening the door.

"Do I know you?" I frown, trying to work out who he was.

"Not you dummy. The sword." he says, pointing at the buster sword.

"You made this?" I ask in disbelief.

"Indeed I did. I'm Hephaestus, the sword smith. Don't remember selling it to you though."

"You didn't.." I say, lowering my head. "My friend who died saving my life gave it to me."

"I'm sorry to hear that, kid." The man says. "May I?" He adds, pointing to the sword.

I hand the man the sword he claimed to have made, and he places it down on his work bench. He rubs his fingers along the face of the blade and checks the leather wrap on the handle before turning to me with a smile.

"This was my finest work. Looks like it ain't been a show piece. This thing's seen some real combat."

"You have no idea.." I shake my head. "It should be resting with its former owner, but I'd be lost without it."

"You got them Soldier eyes, I imagine nothing put up much of a fight against you."

"Sephiroth did.." I answer before my brain has time to process my response.

"This was the sword that killed Sephiroth?!" The man gasps. "Then a true hero needs his own sword."

"This one isn't for sale." I say defensively, quickly swiping it from off the table.

"While I'd love to hang it on the wall, a blade like that belongs to a warrior." He answers. "Why don't you lay that to rest with it's former owner and pick any weapon you see here."

"What's the catch?" I frown, trying to work out the man's angle.

"You just told me that I made the weapon that killed Sephiroth and saved the world. Kid, you've just made me the most sought after blacksmith in all of Gaia." he answers with a grin. "Go on, pick one."

My eyes dart across his weapon stands, quickly overlooking anything that wasn't a sword. My eyes quickly lock onto a huge sword that has a similar silhouette to the buster sword, but seemed to be comprised of multiple shorter swords.

"What's this?" I ask, pointing to the sword.

"That's the fusion sword. The idea never took off. It was too difficult to wield." He answer's truthfully.

"Ill take it." I tell him bluntly.

"You sure you want that one?"

"Positive." I nod.

"Very well. Here's your now sword, Mr..?"

"Cloud. Cloud Strife."

 **A/N: I'm so tired! But I finally got it finished! We finally know where Light is, so I hope that will keep you all guessing as to what will happen next. The Tifax Cloud moment will be the next chapter. won't be anything major and will follow the novel, but it's something. As for Serah. I want to show her as being more positive/ mentally stronger than cloud for the time being. She's no idea her sister is even on that world and is trying to come to terms with it, but a lot of it is putting a brave face on for Cloud, who's a little fragile atm lol.**

 **I wanted to make the stigma a little darker and more realistic than it was in the movie, so chocobo billy has had to take on for the team :P sorry!**

 **Glad you're all enjoying it. Any questions, don't hesitate to ask :)**

 **FF news: 15 has been delayed.. its like square hate money.. on the bright side, we got to see a new video of diamond weapon fucking stuff up, so its not all bad XD**

 **Wolf**


	65. Do you Love me?

**Cloud's POV**

I leave the weapon makers house with a new sword and a new problem. Where the hell was I going to put it? It takes me ten minutes, but I eventually wedge the blades between the panels of the bike, and make a note to take it to the garage in Edge to see if it could be modified. Happy that they were relatively secure, I take a look at my map as I mentally preparing myself for Tifa's worried lectures about not phoning to hell her I was okay.

"Gongaga.." I mutter to myself, thinking about where Zack's parents lived.

I head there with a heavy heart and an immovable feeling of guilt. I had no idea what I was going to say to them, but it was something I knew I had to do. It only takes an hour for the ruined reactor that stood at the center of the small village to come into view, and I find myself riding slower and slower the closer I got. Eventually though, my bike grinds to a halt just outside the village and I climb off, taking both swords with me. Rain begins to pour from the sky, transforming the dusty streets into muddy tracks as I head for the house that I think belongs to the Fair family.

"Can I help you?" A gray haired woman asks with a slightly nervous look after opening the door to me.

"I..." I begin to stutter, lost for words. "I'm sorry.."

"I don't understand. Sorry for what?" She asks, staring at me with eyes like her son's

"I couldn't save him.."

As soon as I spoke the words, I could see it in her eyes that she understood my meaning. She grabs me by the arm gently and pulls me inside the house, out of the downpour, sitting me down by the fire. I struggle to look up from the floor as the guilt consumes me, but my eyes find hers again as she hands me a mug of hot tea.

"Tell me what happened." She asks softly as she takes a seat next to her husband, who is looking at my weapons.

"It started in Nibelheim.." I begin, taking the next hour to tell her everything I can remember about the whole ordeal. "This is his sword. I thought you'd want to have it." I add, standing up to hand it to her husband.

"My son was a hero?" Zack's father asked proudly as he took the weapon.

"He was." I answer. "He was the bravest, most selfless man I have ever known.. He saved me from certain death. If there's anything I can do for you, I will do it."

"Take this sword." Zack's father says, holding it out to me.

"I don't understand." I reply.

"I want you to place this where he died. Warriors should be with their weapon, even in death." The man tells me, his voice breaking at the end. "And if we should venture that way, we will know where he is."

"I promise.." I answer as I turn to face the door. "I'm so sorry.."

"You've already apologized, young man." Zacks mother tells me.

"… And it will never be enough.." I say finally, just before leaving the house.

Even though they didn't blame me for Zack's death, I still feel overwhelmed by the guilt, which only subsides on the long ride back to Edge. As I ride through the rain, telling myself I was mad for trying to soothe my guilty conscious, something catches my eye in the distance. A huge gray wolf sits atop the hills near Kalm, watching me with cold, judgmental eyes. It vanishes as I blink, and I can only assume I was seeing things.

The dusty plateau that Zack had made his final stand was soaked with rain as I approached. Even in this dead wasteland that nothing grew in, the exact spot I had watched him die was etched into my mind forever. Again, I park up my bike and take the buster sword up to the spot where Zack fell. I push the wide blade into the ground until it was secure, but my hand lingers on the handle for a moment.

"Some legacy I was.." I mutter. "Couldn't save you.. Couldn't save Aeris.. Couldn't save Claire.."

I feel a searing pain shoot up my left arm, and my heart fills with dread when a warm liquid seeps between my fingers as I grip my bicep tightly. Panic sets in, but not because of what it meant for me. How could I tell the others? The pain subsides after a few moments, and I quickly climb onto my bike and head back home. It must be nearly midnight now, so I turn off the bike and push it down the street to the bar, where I sneak inside quietly.

Inside, I find Tifa asleep with her head on the bar. She must have been sat up there for hours waiting for me to come home. I want to move her, but first I head into the back and take out the first aid kit to quickly bandage my arm back up. After making sure the black marking on my arm couldn't be seen, I return to the bar and scoop Tifa up in my arms.

"Where have you been.." She says tiredly, never opening her eyes.

"Sorry, I got held up." I reply. "Go back to sleep."

"I got a present for you.." She continues to talk. "I left it on your bed.."

I walk into Tifa's room and tuck her into her bed. She smiles when her head hits the pillow, but her hand reaches out through the darkness to grab mine as I turn to leave.

"We're a family, right Cloud?" Tifa asks.

"Of course." I reply, before finally pulling away. "Goodnight."

I head into my room and turn on the lights after locking the door, and find a large cardboard box sat on the end of the bed. I pull off the lid to find a white piece of paper sat atop a neatly folded pile of dark clothes. Unfolding the piece of paper, I read Tifa's perfect handwriting.

" _I heard about what happened in Kalm the other day, and I know you're trying to escape your past. Maybe these will be the first step in you doing that. We'd all be lost without you. I hope you like them. Tifa_

 _X_

 _P.S Turns out that he doesn't just make dresses ;p"_

I fold up the letter and place it on my bedside table, and then empty the contents of the box onto the bed. It takes a second for me to get her little joke, and I can't help but grin as I look over my new clothes. I rip the Soldier uniform from my body, feeling cleansed as the final piece is thrown into the corner. The new clothes fit perfectly, and I'm grateful that the shoulder pauldron has a cloak that drapes down from it, covering my bandaged arm.

After flexing and bending in my new clothes, my eyes find the Soldier's belt that stared at me defiantly in the corner of the room. I scoop them all up and place them in a bag, after grabbing an emerald orb from my materia chest and heading out of my room and into the bar. I know Tifa will be angry at me for leaving again, but I didn't want to be anywhere near her with this disease. I grab the bag with the deliveries I had taken; noticing there was more than I remembered accepting. People must have come into the bar and asked Tifa, who was happy to take any orders while I was out. Finally, I head towards the door silently. Or so I thought.

"And where are you going at this hour?" Serah's voice asks from the darkness. "And all dressed up too."

"Serah, what are you doing up?" I ask, turning around to face her.

"I'm making an early start on my deliveries." I answer, knowing how ridiculous it sounded as I said it.

"You sure are taking the 'Strife delivery service' to the extreme." Serah teases.

"Just wanna get a head start.. And please don't call it that." I blush.

"Too late. Me and Marlene have already decided!" She laughs. "Be careful at least."

"I will." I say finally, before leaving.

Again, I climb onto my bike and ride into the darkness. I was unsure where I was going to go at this time of night. Nobody would be up to take their deliveries. My eyes look over the town that was slowly rising from the ashes of Midgar. It's upper plate would always be a dark reminder of what darkness people were capable of. Below that though, I see the broken roof of the Church. Aeris' church..

I drive slowly through Edge, until I reach the church, dodging the mounds of rubble and scrap metal that surrounded it. Even through all of the chaos, not even Meteor could bring the building down. I was never a religious man. In fact I thought the whole concept was absurd; but this place.. It was sacred to me. With the bike parked up, my old Soldier's uniform gets cast on the ground in a pile, and I take out the fire materia. I send a wave of fire onto the pile of clothes, and watched as they burned. There was something cleansing about watching it smoulder. A part of my past that was never mine. An illusion slowly turning to ash before my eyes.

When the embers fade, I head inside the church to find the patch of flowers that remained in constant blossom. Even stood in the doorway, I could smell their sweet scent, and instantly feel at ease. The dark mahogany pews remained centred perfectly, divided by a deep red, velvet carpet. I take a seat on the far pews, which rested just a few feet from the flower bed. My arm pulses with a dull ache, so I flip my shoulder cloak over my back, and remove my bandage.

"Might wanna get that checked out, Chocobo head." I hear Fang's thick accent behind me.

"What are you doing here?" I ask defensively, quickly covering up my injury.

"It's a free country." She answers smugly, taking a seat next to me. "Beautiful, aren't they." The huntress adds, gesturing to the flowers.

"You Shouldn't get too close to me." I answer, sliding away from her.

"Why? It ain't contagious." Fang answers with the utmost certainty.

"How can you be so sure?" I question.

"Well for a start, it only seems to effect people from your world. And I've seen families where one of them has it for a few months and dies, never effecting the rest of the family. That why you're here? Running away to die alone?"

"I.. I didn't know where else to go." I sigh.

"Back home.. You'll figure it out."

"But what if you're wrong?" I ask.

"if I thought for a second that you could spread that to Serah, I'd lock you in here myself." She grins. "Now get out of here delivery boy. Don't you have work to do?" Fang adds, pointing to the rising sun that lit up the stained glass windows, casting beautiful colours across the stone building.

"Hey, Fang." I call back to her after standing up to leave. "Thanks."

With the morning sun rising over the horizon, I leave the church and head towards my bike, stepping in the now cold ashes of my false past as I walk. The next seven hours consist of me weaving in and out of the busy streets of Edge, as well as a brief trip to Kalm to finish my deliveries. When I hand over my last parcel, I look at the modest stack of cash had accumulated since I started 'the Strife delivery service', and wonder to myself it it would be enough to get the bike modified to how I wanted it. Cid mentioned a young mechanic from Rocket town that set up shop in Edge, so I head for the garage on his recommendation.

I pull up outside a garage, first noticing the sign that hung over the large shutter doors that read 'Hammerhead Garage'. After shutting off the bike, I head inside, where an old pickup truck takes centre stage on the glossy floor that was painted like a chequered flag. At first, I don't see anyone, but after a moment, my eyes spot movement in the form of a pair of oil stained white boots, which stuck out from under the truck. _A woman?_ I think to myself, noticing the heels.

"Be with ya in a minute!" The woman shouts from under the truck in an accent the same as Cid's.

True to her world, a minute later the woman slides out from under the truck. My eyes examine her as she comes into view, and she couldn't have been any more different from the hairy, middle aged man I was expecting. Black stockings extended from her boots, stopping a few inches below a pair of denim shorts that weren't much longer than her toolbelt. Her abs glistened with sweat and oil, before disappearing underneath a yellow leather jacket, that didn't leave much to the imagination.

"You gonna help a girl up, or what?" She asks.

I offer up my hand to her, and pull her onto her feet. She smiles at me with oil stained lips and bright green eyes, which were shaded by a red cap that bore the name of the garage. The mechanic adjusts her hat, tucking in a few stray locks of her short blonde hair, before it becomes obvious she wanted to know why I was here.

"Er.. Cid recommended you. I need some help modifying my bike." I say sheepishly.

"Highwind? What's that old coot up to these days?" The woman laughs.

"Probably being a pain in the ass, like usual." I smile.

"So what seems to be the problem? See sounded like she was purrin' like a kitten when you pulled up."

"I need somewhere to store weapons, and a basic tune up." I tell her.

"What we talkin'? A rifle?"

"Swords."

"Oldschool. I like ya style, mr?"

"Cloud Strife." I answer.

"Nice to meet ya, Cloud. I'm Cindy."

"Likewise. So, you think you can do it?" I ask.

"You got the cash and I can do whatever you want. You just tell me how big that sword is of yours and I can start to think about what I'm going to do with it." She says with all the innocence of Vanille, but her choice of words still make me blush.

"This cover it?" I ask, handing her my wad of Gil.

"Sure thing! You just give me a day or two, then bring your pretty little head back. She'll be better than new!" Cindy says, tucking the wad of cash into her jacket. "In fact, leave my your number and I'll phone you as soon as it's ready."

Leaving my bike in her hopefully capable hands, I walk back to the bar, ready to get some rest. My phone rings, and to my surprise it was Elmyra. She began the conversation asking me how my new business was going, but eventually we going to the reason she phoned. Hesitantly, Aeris' mother asks me if I could deliver a bouquet of flowers to her resting place, quickly following up by telling me she would understand if I didn't want to return.

"I'll do it. I was heading that way anyway." I lie.

In truth, going back to see her would open up an old wound, but I would have done anything for Aeris' mother, and it would give me the excuse to expand my search for Claire. I was determined to hold on to the tiny thread of hope that the woman I loved more than anything was still alive, but I was running out of places to look.. After hanging up the phone, I take out a small notepad that I've been using to take jobs, and write Elmyra's request inside.

 **Tifa's POV**

The bar was as busy, even for this time of day, but my eyes instantly fixate on a large man with longish blonde hair and a dirty cream trench coat. A few nervous eyes look up from their drinks, unsettled by the presence of the stranger, but as he gets to the bar, he grins at me with a wide smile.

"Hey, how ya doin'?" He asks warmly, taking a seat at the bar.

"Busy as ever." I answer. "Would you like a drink?"

"Sure, why not." He smiles, diving his hand into his pocket.

The man pulls out the contents of his pocket, and my eyes instantly fixate on a ruby orb. He fishes out a few Gil and returns everything else to his pocket. I place a bottle of beer onto the table, and the man pays with another warm smile.

"You're new around here. Not from Edge?" I ask, curious about the man.

"You could say that." He laughs. "I'm just lookin' for my fiancée."

"What's she look like? We get a lot of people in here, maybe someone's seen her." I tell him.

"Well, she's got pink hair-" he begins.

"Please tell me that her name is Serah and not Lightning." I say, knowing just how badly it would end if it was the latter.

"You know Serah?!" He shouts, causing all eyes to turn to us.

"You must be Snow. Come with me." I grin.

Snow frowns at me, but follows me behind the bar and into the back room, where I tell him my plan on how to reunite them. I explain to him what had happened so far, and how Serah was living with us, as well as her daily routine. I convince him to hide there until she come home from the school she taught in, and like an excitable child, he agreed.

About an hour later, Serah slumped into the bar, tired from her day. She sits in the same seat that her fiancé had sat in less than an hour ago, and proceeds to take out the children's homework and lays it all out in front of her. Her head stays down as she agrees to a drink, determined to get through it all as quickly as possible. I wave Snow out from the back room, and he stands where I was stood a second ago, casting a shadow over her papers. Even so, Serah never looks up until Snow speaks.

"You want ice with that drink?" He asks her.

"No thankyo- Snow!?" She gasps, leaping over the bar like a mad woman the second she recognises the voice. "How did you?!-"

"Hey, slow down." He laughs. "All that matters is that I'm here now."

"And don't ever leave me again.." Serah warms him, never letting him free of her iron grip.

"So, where is Cloud anyway? I gotta return something." Snow asks.

"Probably out doing deliveries." I tell him.

"Deliveries? Cloud Strife, delivery boy. I dunno, sounds strange." He laughs.

"Get used to it." Cloud's voice says from behind us, causing the three of us to jump.

"Hey, Cloud. I kept it safe for ya." Snow tells him as he takes out the crimson orb to toss it to the blonde.

"Keep it. It won't bring back the dead.." He replies, before heading upstairs and into his room.

I knew it must be hard to see other people be happy when his was snatched away, but I didn't know what to do about it. I hoped that one day he would wake up and see what was in front of him this whole time, but I guess that's a little selfish of me.. Leaving Serah and Snow to catch up while running the bar, I head into the back to find Cloud's notepad thrown onto the table. Picking it up, I flick through it, hoping to find a day where he wasn't busy, so I could shut the bar and we could spend some time together. Instead, my eyes find the last entry in the small pad.

Elmyra Gainsborough

Package: Flowers

Destination: Forgotten city

I quickly return the notepad to the table as a whole new wave of concern washes over me. This was the first time I realized exactly what his job would entail.. He'd be travelling around the world, revisiting his past. Although he'd never admit it, Cloud was still to fragile to be digging up old memories..

That night, after I'd cleaned up the bar for the next day, I head upstairs where everyone had been sleeping for the past few hours. I stop outside of Cloud's door, which remained ajar, and peer inside. My head tells me to go to bead, but my heart is beating so loudly in my chest that I was worried it would wake everyone up. I head inside of his room and perch on the side of his bed, looking down on his sleeping from.

"We'll be all right, won't we?" I ask in a whisper, not expecting a reply.

I wondered if the fact that he was sleeping here mean that we were a family.. He was as distant as ever, but maybe that was the best I could ever hope for. Just being near me made me feel safe and warm. A few moments pass, with the only the gentle sound of his breathing in the air. I want to touch his face, but I keep my hands in my lap and ask him the question I'd dare not ask when he was away.

"Do you.. Love me?" I ask sheepishy, happy that the words finally left my lips, even if it was in vain.

"Hmmm?" Cloud mutters, opening his mako eyes with a perplexed look on his face.

"Do you love.. Marlene?" I quickly correct myself, grateful that it was so dark he couldn't see my cheeks burn.

"Yeah.. But sometimes, I don't know how to approach her." He answers me.

"Even thought you've been together this long?"

"Maybe.. That just isn't enough." Cloud sighs.

"Same with you and I?" The question escapes before I can reign it back in. "Sorry.. weird question.. I-"

"Don't apologise." He says firmly. "It's my problem."

"Why can't it be ours?" I ask.

 **A/N: Well.. as FFXV has been delayed, I thought I'd bring one of it's characters into the story. No ties to the ffxv world or anything, I just thought Cindy was a cool character and she's good and tuning up shiny black vehicles :P**

 **From what little info is out there, timing wise I know this. Cloud had the stigma before he met Denzel, and the turks didn't get Jenova's head for a while, as Rufus was missing (Held hostage) for quite some time. At the moment we're 1 year in more or less so we're exactly half way between ff7 and AC, although we're gonna be transiting into AC in the next chapter. Nobody need 365 more days of Cloud delivering packages and sulking haha.**

 **Gad someone got my FF7:MA reference :P**

 **I've had a few requests about rethinking the CloudxSerah bit, but the majority voted Tifa, so because I love you all I wrote both. What is written below is a 'what could have been' and has no influence on the story, I just thought it would be nice to write as a few of you put up some compelling arguments. Anyway, enjoy.**

 **(The following takes place before Snow makes an appearance, which would have been a few days later.)**

 **Cloud's POV**

With the bike currently having an overhaul, I park myself in the darkest corner of the bar with a bottle of whiskey sat by my side. I sip it slowly, enjoying it's warming effects as my eyes remain vigilant. Nobody dared to start any trouble in here, but I knew it comforted Tifa to have me sat in the bar. With every hour that passes, the bottle's contents slowly deplete. Just as the last customer leaves the bar, Serah runs through the door with her jacket over her head, trying in vein to keep her pink locks away from the downpour outside.

I let out a scoff when she shakes her hair like a puppy that's just been for a swim, and she throws me a grin before vanishing upstairs. The sound of glasses clinking behind the bar draws my attention to Tifa, who starts the long process of washing up.

"Hey, you go to bed. I'll take care of things down here." I tell her.

"Really? Thanks." She smiles gratefully, before retreating to her bed.

I take my bottle with me to the bar, where I begin to wash the dishes in the warm, soapy water. After only a few minutes, I'm already feeling sorry for myself, and make it my mission to buy Tifa a dish washer, so neither of us ever have to do such a monotonous chore again.

"You sure can put that stuff away." Serah's voice says behind me, holding up the half empty bottle. "How are you still stood up?"

"It's the mako.. Takes a lot to get me drunk." I answer, still fixated on the washing.

"Just how much are we talkin'?" She asks mischievously.

"At least a whole bottle." I tell her. "How was your shower." I add, pointing to the rain hitting the window.

"Oh, very funny. I got soaked, and so did the fresh clothes I hung out to dry." She sulks. "We really need a tumble dryer."

"I'll add it to the list." I laugh, wondering just how I would get it on the back of my bike.

"Come here, you're terrible at this." The pinkette teases, standing by my side and snatching a soap covered glass from my hand.

I shake my head at her, but she just grabs a handful of the suds and rubs it into my face.

"You suit a big white beard!" She laughs as I wipe the bubbles she had smeared all over me.

"You really are a child.." I huff.

"Well go pour this child a drink." She orders as she continues to clean the glasses.

I take a wine glass form behind the bar, but fill it with the whiskey in revenge. I turn around to give it to her when I properly notice the pinkette for the first time today. Serah wore a loose fitting, white vest top and some short, red pyjama bottoms, which barely covered her behind. She stood with a strong posture, with her pink hair worn in a different style, thrown over her left shoulder. For a second, I see Claire; even more so when she turns around and looks at me with those eyes. They lacked the glow her sister's have, but they where just the same..

"What?" She frowns, after silence takes over the bar.

"Nothing. Here." I reply, handing her the glass of whiskey.

My lips manage to hold in a grin until Serah took a gulp of the spirit and began a coughing fit.

"How do you drink that stuff?!" She coughs.

"With practice." I answer.

"Come on then, teach me." She says defiantly, grabbing the bottle and two small glasses. "Come on, or I'll come over there and get you."

I let out a sigh before following her to the corner table which had comfortable bench seats that ran along the wall. Serah makes herself comfortable in the corner, and I take a seat across from her, only to earn myself a frown.

"hey! I've not got Geostigma! Get over here!" She teases innocently, and I force out an awkward laugh.

She hands me a glass as soon as I take a seat next to her, and takes a sip of her own. The pinkette tries her best to put on a brave face, but I could tell that she was struggling. Still, for the next hour or so, we continue to drink until the bottle lays on its side, plundered for all it's worth.

"You stopped being sulky yet?" Serah asks sarcastically as she rests her head on my shoulder.

"I don't sulk." I answer defiantly.

"Who are you kidding?" She asks, gripping my cheeks with her hands and pulling them. "Look at that grumpy face." She adds, putting on a childish voice.

She stops messing when the pair of us realize just how close we where. Serah's face was just a few inches from my own, but all I can see was Claire. Her hands go from a playful pinch to her fingers gently resting on my face, pulling me closer. She leans in and my hand wanders to the small of her back. I feel her breath on my lips and I take a deep breath, only for my phone to snap us both out of it.

"Hello?" I say down the phone, quickly creating distance between myself and Serah. "Cindy, it's 3am.. What's up?"

" _I told ya I'd ring as soon as it was done."_

 **Hope you liked it**

 **Wolf**


	66. A New Hope

**Cloud's POV**

I awake to a poisonous sting in my arm, which is so intense that I have to bite my tongue to keep a my affliction private. Dark thoughts flood my mind, and memories I want to forget play over and over in my head. When the pain finally subsides, the bandages that encased the stigma where saturated with the deathly black substance the disease was known for. Eventually, the pain fades, but not before reminding me of Tifa's visit to my room. In truth, I heard every word that she said, but didn't know how to respond. I cared for her greatly, but my heart belonged to Claire. Even though my chances of happiness with her were all but gone, it would be wrong to 'settle' for someone else. Tifa deserves much more than that. Much more than me.

I look out of the window to find the first rays of light rising up from the horizon, telling me that everyone would still be in bed. I take my sword and leave my room, grabbing a spare roll of bandages as I pass my dresser. I don't know if I could face Tifa after last night, and Snows presence here has brought up an irrational anger in me based on jealousy. He got his Farron, and was more than likely holding her tightly as he slept, while I was left to spend my days searching the globe for someone who was almost certainly dead, whilst dying myself.

Scalding myself for being so bitter, I head outside and walk down the street towards the garage my bike was at. It probably wasn't ready, but I couldn't sit inside that bar with the others all day. Just before I make it to the garage, I dart into the nearest alley and discard my bandages, replacing them with fresh ones. If this thing was gonna kill me, then so be it.. Not like I've got a lot else to live for..

I make it to the garage door, which is locked up with a large, brass padlock. It was still early, so it was no surprise that she hadn't opened up yet, but just before I was about to turn around, I notice a small piece of paper stuck to the window which read: 'Back in 10'." I decide to wait for a few minutes, but as each one passes, I wonder to myself just how long that sign had been in the window. With boredom and curiosity getting the better of me, I peek inside, hoping to get a glimpse of the progress, to find by bike was not inside. My mind starts to jump to conclusions about it being stolen, but a familiar rumble causes me to turn around. My bike pulls up in front of me, shining in a fresh coat of black paint, with Cindy behind the controls.

"Well ain't you an eager beaver." She says, after dismounting my bike.

"Couldn't sleep." I answer, honestly.

"You get all excited to ride this girl again?" She asks, and I'm left questioning if she can hear herself talk.

"Er.. yeah." I answer sheepishly.

"So that's ya sword you wanted me to make fit?" She asks. "I'm not used to dealin' with ones that size. But it should fit snug." Seriously, does she not hear this?

Cindy pats the freshly stitched leather seat, gesturing me to get on. I didn't need telling twice, and throw my leg over the bike, admiring every nut and bolt that was meticulously polished. How she managed to do all of this in such a short period of time was beyond me. I don't think Cid could have done it; not that I'd ever tell him.

"Now looky here." She says, leaning over me, with her large chest pressing against my shoulder. "This will open the weapon compartments." Cindy tells me, as she pushes a button on the handlebars.

Two Jet black panels, that cover the front swingarm, flick out quickly on pneumatic rams, revealing a metal rack that would hold my swords. I brake my fusion sword up into it's separate blades, and slot them all inside, before finally pushing the button to close it again. To say I was highly impressed would be an understatement.

"Body panels are titanium instead of that heavy old steel you had on there. And the whole bike got treated to a lick of royal black paint. Suspension's been upgraded to carry the extra weight of all those swords, and then some. Run flat tires, forged wheels, uprated brakes, titanium exhaust system, and a custom built, twin oval piston engine of my own design. This thing'll hit 250 mph all day long. So, did I earn my money, or what?"

"And then some.." I reply, still trying to let it all sink in. "Cindy, I don't know how you did it, but it's perfect."

"Then go take her for a spin!" She grins. "Need anythin' else an' you know where I am!"

I give her an appreciative nod, and set off down the street. Everything feels more responsive and lively, and the fact I could keep my weapons close, but out of sight was invaluable. After the previous day's events, I decide to head out the deliver the flowers to Aeris; keeping me away from Serah and Snow's happiness, and to test out my new bike. Instead of buying a bouquet like Elmyra asked, I decide to head towards the sector five church. When the wooden church doors come into view, and I park my motorcycle in the clearing in front of it. After opening the door, I slip inside to find the grey wolf that had been stalking me, stood in the centre of the patch of flowers.

"You again.. If you're here to eat me, I wouldn't bother.." I say to the beast, pulling off the bandage on my arm. "Tainted meat."

I walk towards the wolf, which doesn't flicker as I approach. Kneeling down on the edge of the wooden floor, I use my hands to dig up a pair of flowers, one white and one yellow from the large patch. The wolf merely watches with mild curiosity as I scoop the flowers up; soil and all, and exit the church. Shutting the door behind me, I open up the small storage space behind my seat and place the delicate flowers inside. With everything ready, I set out on the long journey to the forgotten city.

A ferry service which ran hourly from the north shore of Midgar, to bone village turned a two day journey into a couple of hours, but even so, by the time I make it to the frosty village, the day was mostly over. The white bark of the trees with lead up to the pool of water retained their gentle glow, lighting up the way. I cut the engine and coast the remaining few meters, before climbing off the bike and taking out the flowers from the compartment behind my seat. Thankfully they had survived the journey.

The footprints I had left when I carried Aeris' body to the water remained, and I sit down beside them on the water's edge. I begin to dig into the soft earth with my hands, until it was deep enough to plant the flowers. I was certainly no gardener, but I was sure that they would flourish in this vibrant place. The hair on the back of my neck stands on end as I pat the soil down around the flower's stem, and my eyes dart up, expecting to find the wolf that haunted me. Instead, I find Yeul, standing by the large, white conch shell. She turns as soon as my eyes meet hers, and vanishes inside. I go to follow her, but stop when I remember I was unarmed. I return to my bike and take my fusion sword, before finally running inside.

Inside looked the same as I remember, although this was merely an entrance for the city that was hidden below. Yeul was nowhere to be seen, so I take walk up the winding ramp towards the start of the crystal stairs, and make my way down. A gasp escapes my lips when I find The temple of Valhalla below me, instead of the ancient city. The sword that was on my back was now gripped tightly in my hand, and my curious walk turned into a worried sprint. The final crystal step stopped at the doors of the temple, which open on their own.

I head inside the dark, cold temple, checking every inch of it before taking another step. Floor by floor, I make my way up to the throne room, where my worst fear was confirmed. Sat atop the crystal throne was Caius Ballad.

"In this dying world, nothing is more precious than time.. Why do you waste it on me?" The purple haired man asks casually. "Does my victory still sting? Do you seek vindication?"

"You didn't beat me.. And this world is doing just fine now." I answer back defensively.

"You truly are blind. This world may be fine, but it's people are rotting. Yourself included, it would seem.." Caius says smugly, pointing to my arm. "So tell me. Do you feel victorious? That bitterness is born from your failures, not victory."

"Where is Claire?" I ask.

"So you're here as her saviour? The white knight that beats the villain and saves the girl?" He asks. "That seems to have been working out well for you so far.."

"Tell me!" I roar.

"I refuse." Caius replies, finally standing from the throne.

"One way or another, I'm getting an answer from you, Caius." I growl.

Yeul's guardian leaps from the throne and grips his blade, thrusting it in my direction. I get the fusion sword's wide face across my body in time to black the attack, but the force pushes me back.

"Very well. Do your best, guardian. Cleave the answers from me- if you can." Cauis says. "But you must take them by force!"

I split my fusion sword, taking one of the short blades in my left hand, and go on the assault. He parries my main attack and goes for a counter slash, but I catch his blade with my short sword and try to cut him down at the knee. Caius jumps over the blade and slams his boot into my chest, creating a space between us. Again, I storm towards him, but he stands his ground and slams his blade into the stone floor, hitting me with a blast of energy from the purple eye in the weapon's hilt.

"You have not brought your crystal orbs to augment your power.. How bold of you." He mocks me.

"I don't need materia to beat you." I growl.

"What you need is a miracle. Not a shiny new sword!" Caius roars, throwing his sword at me.

I bat his sword away from me but loose sight of Caius, who is no longer in front of me. A fist hits me from behind, winding me, and I drop on one knee, dropping my short sword. I quickly turn with my main sword up, and block the strike that would have cut me in half. The purple haired man grips the handle of his weapon with two hands and pushes it against my own, determined to make my arm give way. I struggle against his strength, but quickly realize the futility. The jagged edge of his blade inches closer to me, when I spot the handle of my short sword laying next to me. With all of the speed I could muster, I take my left hand off my main weapon and quickly pick up the short sword. My arm gives way, just as I slash across Caius' shin, causing him to stumble back before I'm cut in two. 

Throwing myself back onto my feet, I bat Caius' weapon out of his hand as he tries to bring it back up, leaving him unarmed. The razor sharp tip of my sword hovers a few inches from his chest, but he merely smiles. Before I could react, he throws himself forward and I feel my weapon pierce his ribcage and bust out of his back.

"No!" I shout, desperate for answers from the purple haired man.

His body becomes engulfed by the dark smoke of chaos, and I feel the weight of his body leave my sword, leaving behind nothing but a view of the crystal throne. I let out a deep roar, furious with myself that I had let the best lead I had die.

"Damn you, Caius!" I shout; my voice echoing through the now empty, stone room.

"You've become complacent.." I hear Caius' voice behind me. "Have you learned nothing from out battles?"

"How? How are you still alive?" I demand.

"Yeul.. Even if one desires my salvation, the other demands the opposite. With each death and life, Yeul's soul was splintered anew, the divided fragments melting into the ocean of chaos. She is one and many. A contradiction." He answers. "She is but a child. And a child needs someone to look after her. Especially if she is doomed to stay alone in the chaos. Yeul is the unseen chaos."

"So she'll never let you go..." I realize. "Are you going to tell me about Claire, or was that performance just to prove a point?"

"I do not know where she is." He answers bluntly. "What I do know is that she is not alive."

A shiver runs down my body when he tells me she's not alive, and despite our past, I have no reason to think he was lying. I can't hide the heartache on my face, so I turn to the staircase behind me and start to walk.

"She is not dead, either.." Caius' deep voice echoes, stopping me in my tracks. "She still sleeps in crystal."

"Caius, if you're-" I begin.

"You'll kill me? We both know that is an impossibility, even if we both desire it.." He says. "I did not want this wretched existence, Strife. I wanted to protect the one that was most precious to me.. The same as you.."

"I'm nothing like you.." I scowl.

"In a not to distant future, you'll wish you will come to realize that is not true… Now leave us." He says, turning his back to me and walking back towards the throne.

With nothing left to say, I head back down to the temple doors, and then back up the crystal staircase. When I finally make it outside, the starry sky is reflected on the glass like surface of the small pool of water. I see Yeul's reflection first, before my eyes scan up to find her knelt on the opposite side of the water, tracing her finger into the soft soil. Curiosity gets the better of me, and I head over to the young girl; who's gaze remains fixed on the ground.

"Here." She says, pointing to the ground.

At first I have no idea what she was on about, but the young seeress stands up, giving me a better view of what she had drawn in the dirt. It was a crude drawing of the world map, and her slender finger points directly to the landmass I lived on.

"What's here?" I ask.

"Your destiny." She answers. "Now go. Something dangerous is approaching."

"What about you?" I ask her, scanning the tree line.

"Don't worry about me. I have Caius." She tell me. "Now go."

I'm hesitant to leave, but Yeul vanishes before my eyes. I head back to my bike, taking a final look at the pair of flowers I had planted for Aeris, before setting off through the moonlit forest. I wonder to myself as to what Yeul meant by 'something dangerous', but my mind was elsewhere. By the time I get to the ferry, I could see the first rays of light trying to breach the horizon. My head swam with a new found hope, as well as a million questions that would surely go unanswered. Caius was alive, and on Gaia. If I was told that a day ago, I'd have broke into panic, but in the grand scheme of things, he seems like the least of my problems. The most important thing though, was Claire. She was out there, somewhere..

I'm nearly back at Edge when I finally notice my phone had been ringing. I pull over as the message service takes over, and I feel like a kid who hadn't returned home on time when I see 29 missed calls from Serah and Tifa. I feel awful for making them worry, but I couldn't go home yet. My head was still spinning, so I decide to return to the church, telling myself that I was going to make sure that wolf was gone, but in reality, it had become my sanctuary. When I finally get there, the sun had risen high in the sky, and I feel my body yearn for sleep. My swords remain inside their compartments, and I hang my phone off the handlebar of the bike, wanting a few more moments of peace. The church was empty, as usual, so I sit down on one of the pews pull out my map. Somewhere on this continent was 'My destiny'.. I could only hope that meant Claire.

After planning where to search next, my consciousness gets the better of me, and I head outside to return back to the bar, only to find a young boy collapsed next to my bike. I rush over to him, but he shows little sign of life.

"Hey! You okay?" I ask, kneeling besides him.

The young boy doesn't respond and remains faced away from me. I pick him up in my arms, cradling his head and brushing his tatty, light brown hair out of his eyes. The black substance that also seeped from my arm coated his forehead and matted strands of his long fringe. This poor kid was only a little older than Marlene.. I try to think of something to help when I hear Tifa's voice faintly in the background. I look around confused before I spot my phone clutched tightly in the young boy's hand. I quickly take it off him and press the phone to my ear.

"Tifa, It's me." I say calmly.

" _What's wrong? Is the boy okay?"_ She asks like a worried mother.

"He seems to be in pain." I tell her.

" _Why don't you bring him back with you?"_

"It looks like he has Geostigma.." I answer, receiving a brief pause from Tifa. "I heard Geostigma wasn't contagious." I add, understanding her hesitation.

" _Yeah, bring him with you." She answers to my relief._

"I'll bring him through the back door. Can Serah look after Marlene?" I ask.

 **Vincent's POV**

I wander through the ancient forest, and up to the lip of the crater. I hear Chaos telling me to return to the sight of Aeris' watery grave, but it's reasoning remains unclear. The beast attempted to break its chains once, but somehow I managed to keep him at bay. With every step away from the young ancient's resting place, the demon becomes increasingly angered. I begin to make my way back down into the crater, curious at to what I would find, after spotting a Shinra helicopter flying from it some time ago. The air down here is stale and warm, leaving an acrid taste behind with every breath. Unlike the last time I ventured down here, the cave was devoid of life; or at least I thought it was.

A shot rings out from behind a pile of rocks in a distant part of the winding cave system. I feel the metallic round skim past my left ear and then disintegrate on the rocky wall behind me. I continue to walk towards the sound of the gunshot with my hand resting on the grip of Cerberus. Another shot rings out, missing me completely, but I have no need to draw my weapon, because after the crack of the weapon firing, I hear the metallic click of a pistol slide locking to the rear, indicating that it was empty. When I finally round the corner, I find Tseng and Elena, both laying in a pool of their own blood, clinging to life even more loosely than the Turk commander held onto his empty weapon.

"..Vincent?..." Tseng mutters, just before his eyes close.

The demon in my head mutters about the intoxicating smell of flesh, but I ignore the beast's crude remarks and throw the pair over my shoulder. I had no useful materia to heal them, but I had a chance of saving them if I could get them out of the crater. With all of the strength my curse would allow me, I begin to carry the pair out of the crater.

 **A/N: Bet you weren't expecting Caius to show his face. Battle was short but it was to simply prove to cloud that he has no chance lol. He's quick capable of 'beating' him, but as he literally can't die…**

 **I can't believe you all liked the serahxcloud thing after you all voted against it haha. Amcrobbins, I had a proper chuckle to myself when I read 'Cloud's little bitch slap back into reality'. it's very true. Remember though, that was alternate reality so it never really happened, I just thought I'd write it. Although if you wanna call it canon then that's your prerogative. I'm glad we're all feeling sorry for Tifa because she's one of my favourite characters and she will get a happy ended in 'a great mako war' eventually.**

 **Lightning… She will be be back in Cloud's arms (Kinda) next chapter, I promise.**

 **Finally, to clear up any timeline confusion.. I have taken several liberties with the story, for example, Shinra funded the construction of Edge under Rufus' orders but in my story he didn't. But Canon timeline for Rufus is as follows.**

 **Diamond weapon blows the shit out of his office, but he escapes using a hidden tunnel his father built for him (His father said that he would never use it because he ran from nothing, probably why he ended up with a 7 foot sword sticking out of his back..) He takes refuge in Kalm, where he is kidnapped by a man called Mutten Kylegate (Seriously, i'm not making this up) while the turks are looking for him. He is interrogated, and Rufus confesses his plans to build a city to the east of Midgar, using what they can salvage from the plate. A man named Kilmister (Professor Hojo's former assistant and now a doctor in Kalm) helps him escape. Kilmister takes him to a cave where he's put people with geostigma, and tells Rufus he has found a connection between the stigma and jenova, and can only suppress the pain with a diluted soldier stimulant (Made from bears if I recall, which leads me onto the time Vincent shot Nanaki, but I'll save that for another time) Anyway… long story short(er), Kilmister ends up getting shot and Rufus sends the Turks to locate Jenova's head in the hopes it holds the key to the cure.**

 **Wow, I write long notes...**


	67. The Remnants

**Tifa's POV**

It had been a few months since Cloud brought Denzel back, and I really thought we had turned a corner as a family. For the first few weeks, Cloud would make sure he was back at the bar early, always taking a seat in the corner, where he stewed over his work map. I often found myself absentmindedly watching the president of the Strife delivery service and his two little assistants, that sat on either side of him. A warmness fills my heart when I watch them, until the cold beer I was pouring spills over the side of the glass and onto my hand, bringing me back to reality. The trio resembled a young father and his two children, and deep down, that's how I wanted it to be seen.

The blonde would sit, silently planning the route he was going to take for the next day, and the two curious children always asked him questions about the places he had been. Cloud being Cloud, always gave short, concise answers, but it seemed to satisfy the pair. Marlene would read the invoices out to him, and when she came across a word she didn't know, Denzel would teach it to her like a good older brother. Sometimes though, even Denzel got it wrong, so Cloud made a point of handing him a pen and piece of paper to write out and learn the word, telling him he would have a much easier time of remembering the word if he knew how to spell it. For a while, I thought we had finally come together as a family, but I guess I was wrong..

For the past month, Cloud had been leaving early and coming home late, and then eventually not coming home at all. I had found medical books which had paragraphs highlighted relating to diseases, and when I asked him if he was trying to find a cure, he looked almost embarrassed for trying. I wonder to myself if he was getting sick of helping out with the bar.. Or maybe he's just sick of me…

"You worried about him too?" Serah asks, pulling me from my thoughts.

"Yeah.. It's been over a week since he slept here." I tell her.

"I wonder where he goes?." She replies.

"Maybe to see that cute mechanic that fixed up his bike." Snow answers, taking a sip of his beer.

"Nah, Cloud's not like th- Hey! Whaddya mean cute?!" Serah shouts, punching the blonde giant in the arm.

"She's got nothin' on you babe." He answers, sheepishly burying his head in his glass. "Am just sayin' she's an attractive lady. Cloud's a lonely guy.."

I develop an instant dislike to this mechanic, despite never actually talking to her. But I seriously doubt that Snow was right. Although Cloud had pushed himself to be more social, If he could avoid any interaction, he would. At least, that's what I had selfishly hoped when it came to other women.. I feel myself sinking into depression when the sound of Cloud's office phone diverts my attention.

"He's not here any more.." I sigh to myself as I make my way to the phone and answer. "Strife delivery service. You name it we del… May I ask who's calling?" I ask, unable to place the familiar voice.

" _I'm hurt! Rude, she doesn't recognise me! It's Reno."_

"Yeah, I remember you." I laugh, and then listen to his story.

After listening to what he has to say, I hang up the phone and ring Cloud. It comes as no surprise that the messaging service kicks in, but I relay the message anyway, along side a warning to be careful. It took all the willpower I had to keep myself from begging him to come home, but I knew it might push him further away.

 **Cloud's POV**

As I ride through the wasteland, the high pitched wine of a helicopter engine catches my attention. It flew towards Midgar from the east, but quickly becomes a black dot on the horizon. Feeling my phone vibrating in my pocket, I forget about the Shinra chopper and stop my bike on the dusty ridge of the wasteland, where the buster sword slowly rusts in it's final resting place. The grey wolf stands next to the giant blade, silently staring at me with judgemental eyes. In truth, I had grown accustomed to the wolf's presence, and paid it little attention. Ignoring its gaze, I take out my phone and listen to the message service.

" _You got a call from Reno. He's in Healen. Says he's got work for you. Cloud, how have you been?"_ Tifa's worried voice ask, before the message ends.

Snapping the phone shut, I return it to my back pocket, feeling an uncomfortable twinge in my blackened arm. I squeeze my arm tightly through the cloak that kept it concealed, and the pain quickly subsides. Curious to see what our former enemy wanted from me, I slide the tinted goggles back over my eyes; adjusting them on the bridge of my nose before my hands reach for the handlebars. Another jolt of pain; this time more severe shoots down my arm like a surge of electricity, but it's short lived. Letting out a sigh, I start up the bike and set off to a job I was already having a bad feeling about.

I speed through the wasteland towards the medical facility that was like a small village, situated near Kalm. The new engine Cindy had put in the bike lets of a thunderous roar as I dart across the dusty land, but the sound of other engines catches my attention. I look over my shoulder, just in time to watch two, faded green motorcycles leap over a large bolder pile and take pursuit. The riders both wore black, with hair a dull shade of grey; but that's where their similarities ended.

I twist the throttle, hoping to create some distance form the unknown riders, and for a second it works. The hairs on my arms stand on end as I feel magic being used. Throwing another look over my shoulder, I see three wisps of black smoke racing across the ground like missiles. The smoke quickly materializes into skeletonized monsters, which charge towards me with their horned heads. Slamming my thumb down on the weapon release, the front of my bike snaps open, revealing an assortment of blades.

Grabbing my main blade, I slash behind me as I draw it, cutting through the monster and returning it to its smoky form. My boot slams down on the rear brake, locking up the back wheel and causing the bike to do a 360, allowing me to take down the next monster. By the time I was facing the right way again, the larger of the two men was riding my my side with his fist held high in the air.

"Where's mother?!" He demands, throwing a punch before I get a chance to process what he said.

I swerve out of the way, just as shots ring out from behind me. The other man had a gunblade pointed at my head, but I manage to bring my sword up just in time to deflect the shots. When the gunfire stops briefly, I retract my sword from my view to find the other man; who had a feminine face and long, dark grey hair, riding inches away.

"We know you hid her, brother." He tells me, before opening fire again.

I swerve out of the hail of fire and weave in and out of the wasteland's rocky surface. The pair worked with perfect synchronization, planning their next move with each other silently. Between the two of them and the hoard of monsters at their back and call, I was unsure how I could get out of this. I cut through another of the monsters as it leaps over my head, whilst ducking under a steam of bullets. For a brief moment, I take my eyes off the larger man, who disappears behind a rock formation. I expect him to try and flank me, but instead, he pulls out in front of me.

There was no way I could stop in time, so I hit the gas to lift up the front wheel of my bike and use his as a ramp. By the time my bike had touched back down, the brute was by my side again. I attempt a slash, but a searing pain shoots down my arm, causing me to flinch and giving my mystery opponent enough time to bat the sword out of my hand. With rocks on my left and the man still riding inches from me on my right, I had nowhere to go when I spot the long haired man racing towards me.

I brace for impact, and silently hope that my bike's new modifications help it stand up to what was about to happen. With just a few feet before the long haired man hits me head on, he slams on his front brake, launching the rear of his bike in the air. It all seemed to happen in slow motion, as I watch him smirk at me with his gunblade barrel a few inches from my head. I feel the bullet hit the frame of my goggles, followed immediately by a deafening bang. I ask myself if I was really lucky that the bullet hit the goggles or that the pair were just toying with me.

Blood trickles from my brow as I wince in pain. The duo seem to have pulled back, leaving me surrounded by a hoard of shadow monsters. My arm is still oozing with the stigma, so when I seem the creatures all pounce, I know I could never draw another weapon in time. I brace for impact and mentally accept what was about to happen, but just as I'm about to be jumped on by the hoard, the vanish into the dark smoke and blow away in the wind.

I bring the bike sliding to a stop to watch the pair retreat to the cliff edge where the buster sword rested. Waiting for them was a third man, who stared at me with wicked mako eyes. Our eyes only meet for a second, before he finally rides away, leaving behind a terrible feeling. I double back to collect my sword, that lays on the dusty ground, a few hundred meters away, and return it to it's 'holster' in the bike. Finally, I place my phone on loudspeaker and listen to my messages as I ride, hoping that everyone else was okay back at Edge.

" _Whaddup fool, it's Barret! I am the man! Oil, Cloud! I just found the biggest damn oil field you ever seen! Survey is done, so I should be able to get out there and see Marlene soon. You let her know, all right, spiky!"_

" _Reno called again. He says to hurry.. and he sounded kinda strange.. Be careful, okay?"_ I hear Tifa's concerned voice say through the speaker just as I pull up to the Geostigma hospital.

The hospital was built upon the serene cliffs between Midgar and Kalm. There was nothing industrial about the place, and the only sounds came from the waterfall that ran down the centre of the cliffs and the wind blowing through the thick blanket of trees. I wonder what Reno was doing here, in a place like this, and although our last encounter was not a hostile one, I take my main blade out of it's compartment before heading up the stairs to the lodge.

The wooden staircase was the only access point to the white building from the road, I remind myself; feeling the need to work out an escape plan if it came down to it. When I get to the final stairs, I decide not to knock and push the door open with my left hand, whilst drawing my weapon with my right. My blade meets the Turk's metal baton, stopping it in an instant, but he decides to have another attempt, and charges with a growl. Instead of parrying his attack, I simply side step the red haired man, who stumbles through the door I had just entered, giving me just enough time to shut it in his face.

"Okay, so you're good." He says as he attempts to open the door, only for me to lock it. "Yeah, Rude. Lookin' sharp!"

His slightly more tolerable partner enters from a door on the opposite side of the room, pulling down his leather gloves in a similar fashion to Tifa before a fight. His hand pulls out the Turk's signature weapon, but my sword is at his throat before he can lift it in the air, causing the bald man to sheepishly step back and take a more relaxed stance.

"Good… You fight like the Soldier you once claimed to be.." A cloaked man in a wheelchair says as he emerges from the same room Rude came from. "You haven't lost your touch.."

"Rufus Shinra?" I say in disbelief. "Do I feel sorry for you." I add, taking brief enjoyment from their uncomfortable reaction.

"They day of the explosion-"

"What do you want from me?" I interrupt.

"I managed to get out of the building-"

"Who were the guys that attacked me?"

"Before it collapsed.."

"I'm leaving." I say finally, hoping it moves along the conversation.

"We need your assistance, Cloud.." He answers me.

"Not interested." I reply, baffled by the fact that he had the nerve to ask.

"I acknowledge that Shinra owes the planet a lot.." Rufus begins. "It goes without saying that my company and I are the ones that put the world in the sorry state it's in.. Therefore, it's our responsibility to set things right."

" _I'm still out here!"_ Reno reminds us through the door.

"As a first step, we have commenced an investigation in Sephiroth's wake. It's been two years.. Now the world is on it's feet again, what poses the greatest threat?" The President asks, placing a blackened hand on the arm rest of his wheelchair. "Well, that one's easy.. Geostigma.. And we have reason to think, Sephiroth is the one responsible. The populous; they blame mako energy and the reactors; even the lifestream for causing the stigma. However, isn't that blame misplaced? The lifestream has existed for as long as the planet, and even mako energy has been part of our lives for over forty years. And yet, there is no mention of the stigma in recorded history.. So, what happened in our time to change all that? I can think of only one thing.. The arrival of Sephiroth."

"Sephiroth is dead." I reply defensively

"Yes, but has his mind died?" Rufus quickly fired back. "What if he's somehow dissolved into the lifestream, coursing through the planet, undiffused?.. I know, it is merely my speculation, but it is possible, isn't it? And we can't cure the stigma until we know the truth. So we took action. We started- Do you know where?" He asks me.

" _Yep! At the northern cave!"_ Reno shouts, still locked outside.

"And what do you think we found?" Rufus asks, causing my mind to race and my eyes to dart up from the ground. "Relax.. We didn't find anything.. However, not all went as planned. We were… Interrupted.." He continues. "Kadaj and his gang."

"Kadaj?" I say, wondering if it was the same people who attacked me.

"They'll be after you as well. If they haven't already found you.." Rufus says, giving me the feeling that he already knew about my encounter.

"Leave me out of this." I warn the Shinra leader.

"How? Your ties to Sephiroth run as deep as ours do, Cloud. If Kadaj's purpose is to do what is necessary to prepare for the moment, we stand in the way as his greatest threat."

"Moment?" I frown sceptically.

"Sephiroth.. Reborn." Rufus answers with a sinister tone.

"Are you done talking?" I sigh, finding it all hard to believe. I watched that man die.

"Let's get to the issue at hand. In order to combat Kadaj, we need someone with your expertise.. Will you join us, former Soldier, Cloud?"

"I'm a delivery boy now." I tell him, before opening the door to leave. "What's this stuff about.. mother?"

"Why? Did kadaj mention something?" Rufus answers, making it all to clear that he knew already.

"Rufus, If you're hiding something.." I warn.

"I'd never keep a secret. Not from a comrade. You must want to learn all you can about the stigma. Naturally for the sake of those orphans you live with. Surely you want to see the smiles return to their faces. All we want in the end is to rebuild our world, Cloud." He says, raising his blackened hand from the chair.

"But I.." I begin, as I turn back to face him. Could this work out? Me working with Rufus?

"As a gesture of good will, I have left a gift for you in your new home." Rufus continues to try to win me over. "Call it.. An olive branch."

"hmm?" I frown, curious at to what he had left for me that would make me change my mind.

"Come on, Cloud. Think about it. Together, we could rebuild Shinra." Reno makes the mistake of telling me.

"Not interested." I reply bluntly. Instantly disregarding the possibility as soon as I heard the word Shinra.

"Reno.." I hear Rufus scowl, bringing a brief smile to my face, knowing that the talkative Turk was about to get a firm lecture.

On the journey back to Edge, I pass Zack's grave to find the Buster sword laying on the harsh ground. Spending all of this time exposed to the elements, the blade had become rusted and dull. Part of me wanted to keep it pristine and new, but it went against Zack's parent's wishes. Perhaps one day, it two would return to the planet, to one day be mined and forged into something else. Picking up the blade, I stab it back into the earth and look down upon it's charred leather handle.

"I said I'd live out both of our lives… Easy to make that promise.." I say softly, feeling ashamed at how helpless I was. "I swore, that I would never forget.. I tried.. But I.." I continue, only for my knees to buckle under a swift and relentless pain.

" _Don't pretend you're sad. Why tremble with anger that's not even there." I hear the sinister voice of Sephiroth in my head. "Face it Cloud. All you are, is an empty puppet."_

His voice cuts through me like a blade, and a cold shiver runs down my spine as the pain keeps it's firm grip on my body. Whether this was my imagination playing tricks on me, or the result of the stigma; Sephiroth's deep voice plays over and over in my head until the sound of a bark brings me back. Still on my hands and knees, I look up to find the grey wolf looking at me like I was the most pathetic creature to have ever existed. After a few seconds, the beast turns it's back to me and walks off into the wasteland as I take some strained breaths.

It takes another couple of minutes before I feel fit enough to climb onto the bike, but when I set off, the journey was almost therapeutic; easing my body and mind from it's wounds. Not wanting to face Tifa and Serah, I head to the place where I now called home; the sector five church. People would think I was mad to pass up a warm bed, surrounded by friends, but that wasn't me. This was all I deserved. It seemed fitting, I tell myself. The church would be the start, and end of my journey.. To think how differently everything could have turned out if I had not fell through that roof.

Parking the bike down the side of the church, behind the rubble, I head back around to the front, and push open the huge wooden doors. Before I can take a single step inside, I'm blinded by something shiny, which glistened from the sun, which shone down upon it from the hole in the roof. Placing my hand over my forehead to shield my eyes, I take a few slow steps on the old wooden floor. Then, in an instant, the sun shifts slightly in the sky and I see something that made my heart stop beating.

"Claire!" I practically cry, sprinting towards the crystal figure that sat on the far end of the church, looking down on the bed of flowers, with an olive branch in her hand; secured loosely by a pink ribbon.

Within a second, I'm stood inches away from my whole world, and my hands wander to her sparkling face. It was cold to the touch, which filled me with dread, but the face I could see her with my own eyes; to touch her with my own hands was more than I felt I deserved. Remembering what Serah and Noel told me about L'cie who turned to crystal, I know that she's still alive. Somehow, I will free you.

"We will be together again, I promise you.." I whisper as I watch a single tear roll down her crystal cheek.. Or perhaps it was my reflection..

 **A/N: dunno why, but that chapter fought me all the way. But alas, it's here now. I have taken a couple of liberties with the AC story. For example, Cloud is supposed to go from Healen (changed from healin for ACC) to find Tifa in the church. That is still gonna happen, but in a day or two. Story wise, after AC I think I will be doing DOC (So Shelke will be there) This is for two reasons. Number one: I still have no idea how I'm gonna make a story about LR as it's like watching paint try story wise. And number two: I want the characters from both worlds to have some time to interact with each other. Oh and Vincent will most definitely be having a chat with Caius at some point for VERY important reasons.**

 **Trivia: For those of you that don't know, Denzel's father was a Shinra executive. He took Denzel to safety and went to look for his wife, who refused to leave her friends on the plate that was about to go bang. Denzel was cared for by Ruvie Tuesti who was Reeve's mother, after his parent's death, but eventually she died of Geostigma.**

 **Question: Feel like I've not asked you anything in a while. Next chapter. Stormy reunion or Great mako war?**


	68. The Barmaid And The Remnant

**Cloud's POV**

Day became night as I sat on the mahogany pew, watching the moonlight refract in her crystalline beauty. Hours must have passed since I stepped foot in the church, but I was unable to take my eyes off Claire. She stood on the edge of the flower bed, only a few feet away, but at the same time, her warm smile couldn't have been further. In my head, I replay the moment where my fingers touched her skin for the final time.

" _It's all right.. We'll meet again. I promise. I love you, Cloud Strife. I will always love you."_

"If I hadn't left you that note.. Maybe you'd still be okay.." I mutter to myself. "To think, I ruined your life with a piece of paper and a few words.."

I remain seated for another hour, pondering as to where to begin, when it finally dawns on me that nobody else knew that Claire was here. Do I tell Serah? She had finally found some form of normality, and telling her would destroy it. If I found a way to bring her back, we could all go back together. For now, at least, this would be my burden to bear.

"You promised me.. You promised me that we'd meet again." I tell her. "Before I die, I will find a way to free you."

At first, I wonder to myself if Rufus could help release Claire from her crystal, but I'm sure if he knew how, he would have done so already, and guaranteeing my help. My only other thought was Fang, and it made sense. She was from Pulse and had been crystallized before. If anyone could shed some light on it, it would be Fang. I stand up from the wooden pew, but I'm hesitant to leave. If I didn't figure this thing out, she would remain like this forever, but I'm so terrified of taking her out of my sight. In the end, I know what I have to do.

"I won't be long.." I tell Claire.

Shutting the doors of the church behind me, I climb onto my bike and ride through Edge until I reach it's outskirts. Although Edge and it's surrounding land was still built upon the wasteland cause by the reactors, somehow Fang had managed to get the grass to grow in the modest ranch she had built. As I approach, I can see Vanille stood in the fenced field that contained the Chocobo's. The bubbly Oerban jumps up and down with excitement when she hears the bike, and her arms are nearly choking me as soon as I come to a stop.

"Hey! I've not seen you in aaaaaages!" She shouts.

"It's good to see you, too." I say with little enthusiasm. "Is Fang here?"

"She's inside, patching herself up." Vanille answers.

"She okay?" I ask.

"Yeah. Some scary monsters attacked the Chocobo's this morning. Fang took care of them, but got a couple of cuts for her troubles."

"If it's all right with you, I'd like a word with her." I tell her.

"Sure, just go straight in."

I give Vanille a warm smile and head towards the house, keen to get as much information off the huntress as quickly as possible. Opening the door, my eyes find a bronze leg propped up against the table, attached to a moody Oerban, who was fighting with a roll of bandages.

"You okay?" I ask, noticing the lacerations on her arms and legs.

"I've had worse hunting for dinner." Fang jokes. "What brings moody over to my humble abode?"

"I found her." I answer, knowing that the perceptive woman would have figured it out in the end anyway.

"Really?! Well spit it out then- ow!" The brunette winces when she moves her leg slightly.

"Give it to me before you bleed to death." I sigh, taking the roll of bandages and begin to wrap it around her ankle. "I need to know about what it's like being a crystal. Is there any way to get out of it?"

"Yeah, of course." She answers casually. "Usually takes a few hundred years." The huntress adds, wincing then I tie the bandage tightly in annoyance.

"I don't have a hundred years." I remind her, holding up my blackened arm.

"Be no good anyway. There's no Fal'cie to wake her up. You complete your focus like a good little puppet, then just get put on ice until you fit some other purpose."

"And where did the Fal'cie draw their power from? The chaos?" I continue to question.

"I don't think so. Maybe it's 'The Maker'." Fang replies.

"The maker?" I frown.

"We always thought the Fal'cie were like God's, but there were made too. They wanted to find a way to return to 'The Maker', so I guess that's as high as it goes on the food chain." The brunette tells me. "According to legend, he sleeps, waiting patiently to find Etro's gate."

"Don't suppose you have an address?" I scoff.

"Afraid not." She laughs. "Nobody even knows if it exists. And if it did, I doubt it could find it's way to this planet."

"So I should give in?" I frown, releasing her bandaged leg from my grip in annoyance.

"Never said that." She replies. "You never know, she might wake up tomorrow."

"I guess." I answer, not sounding convinced. "Thanks, Fang."

With nothing left to ask, I leave the house and return to my bike, disheartened.

 **Serah's POV**

"Right! That's it! Everyone out!" Tifa roars from out of the blue, causing the bar to quickly evacuate.

"Everything okay?" I ask, noticing her trembling hand. 

"I need to find him, Serah.. He hasn't come home or answered his phone for days." The brunette replies. "I can't get him out of my head.."

"Right then, I'll look after this place. If you want to go look." I smile.

Over the past few weeks, it had become apparent that Tifa still loved Cloud. When she thought everyone was in bed, she would often go into his room and stare of of the window for hours at a time, waiting for the jet black bike to come rumbling down the street. Part of me felt annoyed at the blonde for making her feel like this, but Tifa was a master at keeping her feelings hidden from him. It also didn't help that Cloud was struggling to deal with the loss of my sister. After all of the things she had done for me over the years, I wouldn't hesitate to swap places with her, to grant her the happiness she had always exchanged for my own.

"Where we goin'?" Snow asks as he strolls into the now deserted bar.

"You're going nowhere. You're looking after Denzel with me, while Tifa and Marlene go find Cloud." I order playfully.

"Well that's me told." He laughs. "Might wanna start at the west side of town. The only time I see him is driving west."

"But what's to the west? There's only what's left of Midgar."

"I know where he is." Tifa answers, as if a the information had magically appeared before her eyes. "Come on, Marlene."

 **Tifa's POV**

I head towards the church, unsure if I was going to hug or slap the blonde for making me worry so much. I know I had no right to drag him away, but staying in the church was going to slowly eat away at any progress he's made. No.. Maybe it was all just a front. One he couldn't maintain for this long, so gave in. It takes up nearly forty five minutes to walk to the church, but when we do, the pair of us marvel at how it was the only building still standing.

"I don't see his bike." Marlene points out as we get to the doors.

I open the door and the pair of us head inside to be met by a shining object at the far end of the room. It sparkled like diamonds, obscuring it's shape until we got closer. Marlene ran ahead; and with no apparent danger, I don't try to stop her.

"Oh, wow! She's so pretty!" She shouts out as she reaches the flowerbed.

"She?" I ask, only to get my answer a second later. _Lightning!_

I couldn't decide if I was happy or furious at Cloud for keeping this a secret. How long has she been here? Doesn't Serah have a right to know?

"Does Cloud live here?" Merlene wonders aloud, happily changing the subject from the crystal 'statue'.

"I guess he does." I reply, noticing a lamp laying on the ground next to an old sleeping bag.

I walk over to his small supply of stuff in the corner, and my heart stops when I see a blackened bandage thrown on top of a small wooden box. How could I have been so blind? He's been suffering with this on his own in silence, never burdening us with the truth. After everything he's been through, why him? Why must he be taken from me?

"It's just like Denzel's. Is Cloud sick?" Marlene asks, picking up the used bandage.

"Why didn't he say something?" I mutter to myself, still struggling to process it.

"Did he leave because he's sick?"

"He just.. wants to fight alone..." I guess.

"Fight?"

"No… I don't think that he will.." I say finally, realizing that he had come here to die.

"Tifa?" Marlene says with a worried expression after noticing my face drop.

"Let's go home, Marlene." I force a smile as I lower myself to her height.

"We can't! Cloud's not here yet!" She protests.

"I know sweetie. I miss him too." I reply, picking up the stained bandages. "So, say he comes back."

"We all go home!" Marlene finishes my sentence.

"Not until he gets a lecture." I grin, earning myself a big grin from my adopted daughter.

For the next forty minutes, Marlene tends to the flowerbed, humming to herself as she inspects every petal. My mind is still racing, but I keep the worry from my face as I look into the crystallized eyes of Lightning. It was a strange feeling to miss a friend so much, yet be bitter over her ability to win over the heart of the man I love so easily. I often found myself comparing myself to Light when she was with us, and even now her beauty was clear to see. Even so, I don't think that was what Cloud fell in love with. The pinkette gave off an aura, not unlike his own. Solitary, reserved; but above all, selfless. To him, she was perfection; and despite my feelings, I had come to accept that the pair were destined for each other.

The oak doors of the church burst open, and Marlene had already bolted up from the flower bed. I turn around just in time to pull she back to my side when I notice the dark silhouette in the doorway was not Cloud. The man had a much larger frame and walked towards us with a casual stroll. It was only when he got to the end of the pews, and the sunlight from the hole in the roof shone on his face did I get a good look at him.

"Wanna play?" The grey haired man asks with a wicked grin as he offers up a hand. "I guess that's a no." He adds, taking a few steps forward as I keep an iron grip on Marlene. "Where's mother?"

The man takes another few steps forward, into the flower bed. He seems repulsed by the smell and pinches his nose before repeating the same question I have no answer to.

"Hey! Where's mother?"

"There's no one here!" I snap back defensively, but I see his eyes dart to Light's crystal.

"Fine, play with me." He smiles, extending his muscular arms.

I see no way out of the situation, so I instruct Marlene to hide behind one of the pillars in the corner of the room. There was no way I'd let anyone hurt her, or Lightning. Taking the leather gloves out of my pocket, I slide them onto my hands, flexing my fingers to seat them properly. Finally, I take up my fighting stance; bringing my firsts up high as I watch the man practically grin with delight.

"Hmm.. This'll be fun."

Unsure what the man was capable of, I go on the offensive in the hope of pushing him back, away from Marlene and Light. Throwing myself forward, I throw a right jab, but the man blocks it with his left arm, which is sporting a spiked, metal bracer. With my left hand, I strike him in the chest with my palm, pushing him back slightly and giving me the opening I need to unleash I barrage of fists to his body. Hunched over, the man attempts to catch his breath, but I follow up with a high, sweeping kick to the head. I expect the man to drop from my kick, but he immediately recovers and throws a left swing, which I manage to stop; only to be blasted across the church by the metal bracer, that sends out an electric charge through it's to extended spikes.

Sliding to a stop in the middle of the flower bed, I shake my gloved hand to stop my muscles twitching from the shock, and take a running jump at the man. At the last moment, I lean back and slide across the wooden floor to kick his legs from under him. The intruder manages to leap over me before I make contact, but I'm back on my feet and sprinting towards him before he manages to turn around. I throw a left cross at the unsuspecting attacker, knocking him off his feet and into the wall on the right hand side of the church.

Not willing to give him a moment, I race towards him, kicking off the wall and then the stone pillar, before following up with another successful kick, which pushes him back towards the door. The only time my feet touch the ground was after bringing them down on his head, only to somersault backwards, catching the intruder under the jaw with my boot. By now, I had the silver haired man backed into the corner, but in my over confidence, I forget about his electrified bracer, which gives me a sharp jolt.

Before I can recover, a heavy boot slams into my chest, winding me and pushing me back several feet. By the time I regain full control of my muscles, he's right in front of me. I duck under his fist, which buries itself into the stone wall behind me. Dust and debris rains down onto my head as I push the leather clad man back with so much force he looses his balance and stumbles back. In one swift movement, I grip his leather suit and stamp down on the man, smashing him through the floorboards and propelling me away; or so I thought.

I feel a hand grip my ankle, and before I know it, I'm being thrown around like a rag doll. I quickly shield my face when I see the mahogany pews coming my way, and my bones shake as they shatter against my body. A second later, his grip on my leg vanishes, and I'm launched towards the back wall of the church. Quickly orientating myself in mid air, I manage too land on the far wall, just above Lightning and the flower bed. My eyes catch the intruders before the effect of gravity tries to take over my body. His smile was menacing, and he showed little sign of wear.

Kicking off the wall, I launch myself towards the man, who recoils his fist back, ready to bad me out of the air; only to miss. My opened hand grips his throat as a shoot towards him like a missile, and I bounce him across the floor before throwing him high into the air, just missing the wooden beams of the roof. The man is still ascending when I leap after him, only to throw him back to the ground, smashing him into the back row of wooden seats. The dust settles, and with no sign of movement, I claim victory, as Marlene runs from cover with a smile.

"Tifa!"

The sound of a phone playing an upbeat tune breaks the brief silence in the church, and the pair of us turn to the church entrance, where the now smashed up pile of mahogany pews erupts like a volcano. The grey haired man casually dusts himself off to my horror, and flips open his phone before pressing it to his ear.

"She's not here… I'm not crying!- No I got it. I'll bring the girl.." He says into the phone, sending a shiver down my spine. "Now, where were we?"

A split second later, the intruder kicks one of the pews at us, but I bat it with the back of my arm, snapping it in half as I deflect it. The large piece of wood was only in the air for a brief moment, but it was enough time for the man to vanish from my sight. I feel two pikes stick into my back with tremendous force, throwing me across the church. Staggering to my feet, I prop myself up using one of the stone pillars, but in my heart, I knew it would soon be over. Again the spikes of the man's bracer stick into my body, as he lifts me off the ground with great strength. I feel his weapon charging briefly, before firing into my chest, smashing me through the stone pillar. Finally, I'm thrown onto the bed of flowers as my vision starts to fade.

I look up at the sun shining through hole in the roof, only for it to be eclipsed by the figure of my attacker, who grips my leather top and pulls me closer to his weapon. I couldn't see Marlene from here, but I could just about make out the statue of Lightning to my left. Silently, I apologise to my friend for not being able to protect her as I prepare for the killing blow. Just as I'm about to be ended, an electric pink lightning bolt slams down from the heavens, through the hole in the roof, and onto my attacker, who shrieks in pain. It was strange, I thought to myself as I loose consciousness, I didn't feel a thing.

 **Cloud's POV**

Dismounting my bike, I head inside the church quickly when I sport the door had been opened. To my horror, Claire was gone. Immediately, I suspect the Turks had taken her back as I had not called to accept their offer, and I was ready to climb back on my bike to skin Rufus alive, when I spot a figure, almost entirely concealed in the flower bed. At first I suspect it was the wolf that haunted my existence, as I often found it slumbering there, but as I got closer, my eyes fall on Tifa's beaten form.

"Tifa!" I shout as I sprint towards her, quickly scooping her up in my arms. "Tifa!"

"….You're late.." She manages to mutter.

"Who did this?" I demand, already plotting a painful end for them.

"He didn't say.." She struggles, before shooting up in a panic. "Marlene!"

Exhaustion gets the better of her, and the brunette collapses in my arms. My eyes dart around the room. No Marlene, no Claire, no materia. I finally thought I was getting somewhere, then this happens. I go to take my phone from my pocket to ring Serah for help, but pain shoots up my arm, crippling me as the stigma oozes from my pores. I'm determined to fight through the pain, but like Tifa, I succumb to the pain.

 **A/N: Sorry for the huge delay. I got the time to turn my computer on for the first time at midnight, and have managed to smash this chapter off in two and a bit hours. (It's not 2:20am and im sooo tired) As way of an apology, I'm gonna try and get a chapter of stormy reunion and great mako war done within a week or so. To answer your question Monking, Rufus put Light there to get Cloud on board with his plan, but now Kadaj has her.**

 **Right, love you all, but I'm going to bed lol**

 **Wolf**


	69. Broken Vases

**Cloud's POV**

My eyes open to the familiar sight of the bedroom ceiling in the bar. An amber sun shines in through the window to my right, where my vision is drawn to Tifa; who lay motionless on the bed. Quickly climbing out of bed, I look down at the brunette's sleeping form as a wave of guilt washes over me. Yet again, I had let the people I cared about the most get hurt.

"You know, you're pretty heavy." I hear the unmistakeable voice of Reno behind me, causing me to spin on my heels.

"Weren't there some kids living with you?" Rude asks, adding to the already tremendous weight on my shoulders.

"'cause they ain't here. And neither is your glass girlfriend." Reno adds, and I have no response.

"You don't care?" The larger of the two Turks questions, as my mind races with the severity of my situation.

"I just..." I begin, turning away from the man and gazing at Tifa, who I'm sure would never forgive me when she woke.

"You're a real handful.." The red headed Turk sighs in disgust, before slamming the door behind him as the pair exits the room.

For the next few hours, I stand in silence at Tifa's bedside, drowning in an ocean of guilt until the sun sets below the horizon, and I'm bathed in moonlight. A picture frame on the bedside table catches my eye, and I look down at the photograph of Denzel, which was taken just a week after I brought him back here. Now, because of me, this little boy who held me in such high regard was gone, along with a little girl, who's only crime was being associated with me. Then there was Claire.. A woman, who had the misfortune of being rescued by the living embodiment of bad luck. From the moment I saw her, to my dying breath, she will always hold my heart. But in doing so, I had chained her to my inescapable fate.

I turn my gaze back to the window, while praying that the stigma would end my suffering quickly, so I didn't have to deal with anything else the world had to throw at me. A couple of minutes later, the sound of movement turns my attention to the bed, where Tifa slowly comes around. Instinctively, I walk from the window to the other side of the bed, so I could escape the shame I felt, whilst avoiding those crimson eyes.

"Reno and Rude are out looking." I tell her, still unsure what her first words would be.

"You have Geostigma, don't you?" Tifa asks as I do my best not to be drawn into those eyes. "You're gonna give up and die. Is that it?" She continues to press with a tone filled with annoyance and disappointment. "So it is..."

"There is no cure.." I mutter my feeble defence.

"Yeah, but that's not stopping Denzel, is it?" She states, adjusting herself on the bed to face me as I sit down on the one opposite. "Don't run! Let's fight it together. We can help each other- I know we can."

Again, I'm unsure how to process her statement. There was no cure; no fight to be made. Yet Tifa was determined that we'd fight our way out of the situation. I truly admired her positivity, but what gave me the right to cheat death so often, when those I held close to me paid the price.

"I guess… That only works with real families.." Tifa tells me with such sorrow in her voice it broke my heart. The things I had selfishly put this woman through, and she still wasn't giving up on me.

"Tifa.. I'm not fit to help anyone.. Not my family.. Not my friends.. Not the person I love more than anything.. Nobody.." I reply, burying my head into the floor.

"Dilly dally, shilly shalley.." The brunette sighs, causing me to look up in confusion as she repeats herself.

"I think she wants you to move on, man." Reno's voice says from behind, making me jump for a second time. _How do they move so silently?_

"Did you find them?!" Tifa shouts, almost jumping off the bed.

"No. Only a witness. Kadaj's gang took the kids." The Red haired Turk answers.

"Where are they?" I ask.

"They're at their base now, at the forgotten city." Rude answers.

"Go." I tell them, unable to bring myself to fail again. "I have to talk to Rufus." I add, trying to convince my self as much as the others.

"Stop running!" Tifa barks in a tone I'd rarely heard. "I know, even if you find the kids, you might not be able to help them! Maybe something will happen that can never unhappen and that scares you, doesn't it!? But you need to think about now- really take it in! Look at you, you think you've got it so damn hard! You hate being alone, so let people in. Sure you might not answer the phone, but I don't see you throwing it away either." She continues, slamming her fist onto the bed.

"You go." Reno interrupts, not wanting to disagree with Tifa. "The base is all yours." He adds, before leaving the room.

"Why didn't you tell me about Light?" The brunette asks.

"I only found out yesterday.." I answer her. "Rufus recovered her from the northern cave."

"But you weren't going to tell us, where you?"

I pause for a moment, unsure if I should lie to spare her feelings, but Tifa knew me better than anyone. Even if I wanted to, she would see right through every wall I built to distance myself. For the past few years, she had been my rock, silently guiding me clear of my own self destructive ways, and all I had given her in return was heartache and uncertainty.

"I saw how happy Serah was with Snow. I didn't want to ruin that." I answer truthfully. "Serah must hate me for being to slow to save her sister.. I couldn't tell her I still don't know how.."

"That couldn't be further from the truth." I hear Serah's voice first before she walks through the doorway. "I never blamed you, Cloud. Not once.. When I first met you, you told me your only interest was finding my sister. You didn't give a damn about my world, or yours; all that mattered was her.. I trusted you from that moment on, just like I do now. You didn't tell Lightning to leave your group; she chose to herself. And you certainly didn't force her to take Etro's place."

"But, I.."

"No buts! Maybe it's us who should be asking for forgiveness, not you! When I found Snow, I was so absorbed into my own happiness that I forgot to think about how you were doing, and that was wrong. But Tifa's right. You don't owe the world anything, Cloud. Neither of us expect anything from you other than you try your best." The young pinkette continues.

"What if my best isn't good enough, what if-" I begin.

"Did you make Shinra destroy the planet? Did you drive Sephiroth mad? Did you create the Fal'cie? Or Cauis? Stop taking responsibility for the actions of evil people!" She says, practically shouting at me. "Now get on that damn bike and go find them!" Serah says finally, pointing to the door like I was a pupil being thrown out of one of her classes.

I glance at Tifa, who's unsure what to make of the situation, but I give her a brief smile before turning back to Serah.

"You sound Just Like your sister." I reply, recounting the numerous times the older Farron had gave me a lecture. I often wondered which one would have made the better teacher.

 **Lightning's POV**

I had no idea how, but when I heard Tifa's strained breath, and the sound of a fist clenching in a leather glove, I prayed for a miracle and my voice was heard. I had always been able to hear things happening around me, but for that split second, my vision returned just long enough to watch a pale pink lightning bolt fall from the heavens, striking down her attacker. It did not kill the man, but did enough to turn his attention away from Tifa. A minute later, the sound of heavy boots pacing towards me blocks out the sound of Tifa's breathing, and although I couldn't see, I could sense the man was stood in front of me.

"Mother?" He says in an almost childlike tone.

I could feel the wickedness radiating from the man as he touched my crystallized face. His touch was brief and repulsive, but the sound of Marlene's screams captures my attention. Barret's adopted daughter was still inside the church, alone with this mad man. Again, I beg by body into action, and a voice that wasn't my own answers.

" _You think it was your own doing that saved her? Foolish girl.. I showed you that brief glimpse of power, and it does not come for free.."_

"Sephiroth?" I ask the voice, remembering the same feeling of dread when he was in my head.

" _Soon a choice will have to be made.. A choice between your Life and your humanity.."_

"Who are you?!" I growl. "Answer me!"

My questions fall on deaf ears, and the next voice I hear is from the brute. With my sight no longer present, I can only assume that the man was talking on the phone, instructing the person on the other end to bring a truck to the church. For the next half hour, I get to listen to Marlene's horrified sobs as she tries to wake Tifa with little success, before she is dragged away by the man. Silence takes over for a couple of minutes, until I hear two pairs of boots approach me. Their hands grip my frozen form, and I too am carried outside and loaded onto the truck.

I wonder to myself how long would it take for Cloud to return to the church and notice what had happened. Would he come for me, or would he finally accept I was a lost cause? I'd much rather he rescued Marlene and left me behind. With no more Fal'cie to awaken me, I would surely be entombed in crystal for eternity.

 **Cloud's POV**

The glowing white trees of the sleeping forest light up the way to Kadaj's base. It angered me that such a special place had been taken over by the likes of him. It was a place for the Ancients, and the final resting place of someone who meant the world to me, making it more important that I don't fail. As I ride through the seemingly never ending forest; who's special trees absorbed the sunlight during the day, to give a gentle white glow during the night, I mull over Serah and Tifa's words. I know they meant well, but trying my best just wasn't good enough. If I failed, I don't think I could live with myself.

Pushing the possibility of failure to the back of my mind, I keep my eyes focused in the distance, waiting for the first sign of Kadaj's base. With only a few hundred meters to go, my vision turns white, and the stumbling feeling you get when you loose your footing causes me to flinch. When I finally regain my composure, I find myself stood in a sea of pure white light for as far as the eye can see. A strange but welcome feeling of calmness washes over me, and for the first time in years, I feel at peace. I sense a presence behind me, but I don't feel like I'm in any sort of danger, so I don't turn around.

"You came." Aeris' gentle voice says softly, as I fight the urge to turn around when I feel her back press against mine. "Even though you're about to break.. That's a good sign." The brunette adds as a comforting hand rests on my diseased arm. "So, why did you come?"

"I think… I wanna be forgiven.." I tell her, as a great weight lifts from my body just admitting to myself. "Mmm.. More than anything.."

"By who?" My fallen friend asks playfully, knowing the answer already.

The need to turn around and look the woman I had let down in the eyes got the better of me, but the second I glanced over my shoulder, I'm returned to my bike. I wonder if it was really her, some kind of symptom of the stigma, or even worse, some kind of mental breakdown that had been slowly building over the years. Either way, the sound of a gunshot whistling through the trees means I'd have to worry about it another time.

Kadaj and his two stooges open fire on me with their gunblades, forcing me to weave in and out of the tree's to avoid the bullets. I press the release button for my swords, opening up the front of the bike, which lines them all up for me to select. Steering the bike with my hips, I take the man blade and the hollow blade from their compartments as I watch Kadaj draw his twin bladed katana and gesture something with his hand. Seemingly out of nowhere, the kidnapped children of Edge stood between me and Kadaj, with Denzel at the front, staring at me with cold eyes and his hand gripped tightly onto Marlene. I manage to slam onto the brakes, whilst still maintaining my grip on both swords, but the loose ground locks up the wheels and the bike slides from under me. I slide across the mossy ground, looking my grip on my main blade before finally coming to a stop.

"I'm glad you could make it." Kadaj says in his twisted voice.

"I only came of the kids." I reply, desperately trying to catch my breath.

"See this man? He's our big brother! But alas.. In our happy flock, he's what you'd call a black sheep." The cat eyed man tells the children, as the tip of his sword comes to rest inches from my neck.

"Cloud!" Marlene shouts from behind Kadaj, distracting him long enough for me to pick up my sword and attack.

With all of my materia in the gang's possession, augmenting their abilities, their leader is able to avoid my slash, while Yazoo opens fire. The larger of the three, Loz, runs at me with fists held high and moving at a blistering pace. When he reaches me, the man leaps into the air and attempts a kick, only for his boot to make contact with my sword instead. With my materia increasing his speed, Loz quickly out manoeuvres me, leaving me with the only option of flipping back to create some distance. Trying to hold off the three of them was never a winning strategy, so I focus on the brute, hoping to take him down first.

Jumping high, I slash at Loz, hoping to use the reach of my sword to stay out of harms way. But my plan backfires when he manages to dodge my attack and swat me out of the air with his boot. I land on my knees to find my main blade on the ground in front of me, and as I go to pick it up, I see Yazoo's deadly reflection in it's polished surface. I manage to get both swords up in time to block his gunblade, but I get kicked in the chest and then finally fired upon. With two swords, I'm able to advance on the long haired kidnapper, deflecting his shots as I run. I slash down at his neck, but the man rolls his shoulder out of the way just in time, and brings his gunblade up to counter. Sliding the tip of my sword down to the ground, our swords break apart, but before I could go on the offensive, Yazoo runs up my sword, kicking me in the head as he flips over.

I manage to turn around just in time to see Yazoo's cold eyes and sinister grin for a brief second, before he leaps back, revealing an eruption of earth heading my way, originating from Loz; who must have been using my quake materia. _I wish I'd have gave the damn stuff to Yuffie.._

More bullets come my way, and I use my hollow blade to deflect them, while charging up my main sword with a power I had not used in a long time. At the last possible moment, I send my blade beam towards the wave of earth, stopping it dead in it's tracks, and sending a dirt cloud high in the air. I make yet another mistake in relaxing briefly as I caught my breath, only to see Loz emerge from the dust like a rocket. With no time to bring my sword up for a cut, I pull it's wide face across my body, just as his deadly bracer slams into it, sending my flying back.

It was almost like the trio were the same person, split into three bodies by the way they moved so in sync with each other. Before my boots land back on the earth, Loz launches Yazoo at me with his gunblade, and again I'm forced to go on the defence. I block as many bullets as I can with my swords, but when the brute rejoins the fight, all I can do is duck and weave out of the way of his fists. Leaping back to put a gap between us only lasts for a second, but it was all I needed to compose myself. Loz charges in with a right hook, which misses my face and leaves me with just enough time to plant my boot in his chest, sending him flying.

Yazoo rushes forward, pulling the gunblade from Loz's hip holster as he was still in mid air, and starts swinging at me with the pair of blades. I felt more comfortable fighting sword against sword, but my mind was always on the other that wasn't in my peripheral vision any more. The long haired enemy lets of a smug scoff, subconsciously telling me I was about to be attacked from behind, so I leap into the air as high as my legs would take me, narrowly avoiding having my head caved in.

From up here, above the tree tops, I watch the brute catapult his friend up to me with his muscular arms. He opens fire on me, temporarily stopping gravity from bringing me back down to earth with each bullet impact. When he reaches the same altitude, he stops firing and slashes at me, sending to body falling towards the trees. A well aimed shot knocks my main sword from my grip, and another hits the falling blade with enough force it causes it to embed itself into a nearby tree. Turning around to face the earth, I aim for the nearest tree and land on it's narrow branch, before making my way across it's white limbs to my main weapon.

I grip the handle, expecting it to fall free, but when it doesn't I use my momentum to spin around and use it's wide surface as a platform to stand on. My eyes quickly find Loz, who buries his fist into the base of the tree trunk, causing an explosion of splinters. The tree begins to fall when a bullet zips past my ear, just before I spot Yazoo running down the trunk towards me. Jumping behind me main sword; which is now vertical, I pull it from the tree and briefly engage the man, until the brute shatters the tree between us. Jumping back, I land on a nearby tree and combine my swords, as my eyes lock onto Kadaj, who looksa at me with a sinister smile. I kick off the bark covered body, forgetting about the other two, but before I get the chance to strike, my geostigma briefly cripples my arm. The pain was only brief, but it was enough to stop my attack and give the leader the chance to go on the offensive.

Kadaj's attacks were brutal and relentless, and it took my full concentration just to keep myself from being sliced in two. In the end, the butt of his sword finds my skull, dazing me. I look up on the man as I fall, and know I had failed yet again when I see his sword coming down on me.

I wake up on the damp ground in a small clearing on the other side of the forest. My head is still ringing when I finally sit up and catch a glimpse of Vincent, who was propped up against a tree to my left. He says nothing and just waits patiently with his arms crossed.

"See, I told you I'd be no help.." I mutter, before addressing Vincent. "Vincent, what do you know about this?"

"I come here often." The former Turk says, flicking his cape behind him as he strides towards me. "I've seen what Kadaj's group is doing." Vincent continues, gripping my rotting arm until it starts to burn, as he looks at me with those piercing, blood red eyes. "The stigma.. It's a symptom of alien matter infesting the body. The body tries to eliminate it, and over compensates."

Vincent releases his grip on my arm and walks past me, continuing his story as the pain in my arm slowly starts to subside.

"Inside our bodies is a current, like the lifestream. That current is what fights off any malevolent intruders.."

"What do you mean by intruder?" I reply, almost to scared to ask.

"The Sephiroth gene. Jenova's memetic legacy.. Call it what you want.."

"You're well informed." I praise, curious as to how he knew all of this.

"Tseng and Elena.. They were brought here half dead. They must have been brutally tortured.. I did what I could to save them, but.. Well, we'll see."

"Tortured?"

"They had it coming." Vincent replies coldly. "They got their hands on Jenova's head."

"So when Kadaj says he's looking for mother?"

"Heaven's dark harbinger. The calamity. Jenova. If they wanted to, they could recreate Sephiroth."

"Kadaj, what is he?" I ask.

"I'd rather not know." The former Turk replies bluntly.

"Any idea why they took Claire?"

"Leverage? Or more likely, they thought she was Jenova. They do not seem to have the same pull towards Jenova's body like Hojo's numbered experiments." He tells me. "I would not worry though. They abandoned her near their base when they fled."

"She's safe?" I ask, feeling my heart stop for a moment.

"Indeed.."

"I need her to come back to me, Vincent. I'm not strong enough to do this on my own.."

"Love walks hand in hand with suffering, Cloud. You cannot know one without the other.." Vincent replies. "You must find the strength, because if you don't, you'll never escape the feeling of loss.."

"Sounds like you're speaking from experience." I sigh.

"In the end, Cloud, we are all just broken vases, trying to keep the flowers alive.."

I mull over his words silently for a moment, until we hear movement coming from the bushes. The pair of us face the rustling bush with our weapons drawn, only to lower them at the sight of Marlene, who rushes towards me with a panicked expression.

"Cloud!"

"Marlene!" I shout, holding her tightly as he hugs my waist.

"Denzel and Tifa-" The little girl begins.

"Tifa is all right." I assure her.

"I wanna talk to her." She demands, but it quickly becomes apparent that my phone has gone. "May I?" she redirects her question to Vincent, who silently opens up his cape to show he did not have one. "You don't have a phone?!"

"Vincent, will you bring Marlene to Tifa?" I ask. "I'm gonna go see Shinra and get a few answers."

"I can't do that." The former Turk shakes his head.

"But I-"

"Forget it, Cloud!" Marlene shouts, releasing her grip on me. "Why don't you ever pay any attention to us?!" She adds, taking refuge under Vincent's crimson cloak.

This little girl's words cut like I knife, and she certainly was justified in speaking them. It was easy to forget the people around me, that supported me over they years, when my only focus was on Claire. She understood enough to notice my neglect for everyone, but not old enough to understand why.

"Marlene, please give me some time. There's a battle to be fought, but it's not as simple as just fighting it. Understand?" I ask her softly.

"Cloud, are you sure this is about fighting?" Vincent asks, seeing through the reason I'm trying to convince myself with.

I close my eyes for a moment, desperate for some clarity, and it comes with the feeling of calmness that I found briefly when I entered the forest.

" _But I let you die.."_

" _Dilly dally, shilly shalley. Isn't it time you did the forgiving?" Aeris questions, just before I open my eyes._

"Are sins.. ever forgiven?" I ask Vincent.

"I've never tried.." He answers with brutal honestly.

"You mean… Never tried.." I mumble to myself, remembering Tifa's words, warning me about the path I was taking by avoiding the chance to fail would lead me down the lonesome path Vincnet has taken. "Marlene, let's go." I say with new found assurance. "We'll I'm gonna try. I'll phone in the verdict. Could you-"

"I shall return Lightning to Edge.. I owe her that much.." Vincent replies.

 **A/N: sorry for the delay. I really did not get on with this fight scene at all. I must have spent 5 hours watching 3 seconds of the fight, writing it down, watching another 3 seconds, writing it down.. I felt physically drained when I finished lol. I'm halfway through a great mako war chapter so ill pos tthat up soon for those who are interested. I'm really glad you're all liking Tifa in this story. I do love Tifa, she's an amazing character with a lot of bottled up emotion.**

 **To answer some questions… Lightning is still crystallized, but was given the power for a fraction of a second to strike down Loz, to stop him killing Tifa. This is as my new reviewer Astrea Erushia (Hi, btw) pointed out, has something to do with Lightning returns. Loz then looses interest in Tifa and turns his attention to Light, who he thinks might be Jenova. They don't feel Jenova's presence which is why Kadaj has no idea what he's looking for is 6 feet away from him for half the film lol. Loz and Yazoo (Stupid names) loaded Light and the kids of edge up into the van and took them to the ancient forest.**

 **Now for the most important part of this entire chapter.. There is a CloudxLight story that I spotted around a week ago called 'I'll never forget' and it's written by iLady A. despite the fact it's in its infancy, (although she updates it at a truly staggering rate) it is without doubt THE BEST cloudxlight story I've ever read. I know a few of you have already read it, but if not, go give it a look because it's amazing. Just please don't abandon mine when you realize hers is soo much better lol**


	70. The Hunter Joins The Ranks

**Nanaki's POV**

I start to climb up the old wooden ladder, to Grandpa's house; which I now called my own, spotting a muscular man dressed in purple waiting for me with folded arms at the top. Quickly scrambling out of the hole the ladder rested in, and examine him and the sword that was impaled into the earth by his side. Everything about the man was a shade of purple, including his cold eyes and sinister sword which almost looked alive..

"Who are you?" I growl.

"It matters not.. What matters is you get to Edge." The man replies in a deep voice. "I have informed the others. They shall come for you shortly. Be ready."

"Why?"

"Trouble is brewing, Nanaki.." He answers. _How does he know my name?_

"What are you?" I ask, as a dark energy ripples from his body like flames.

"An informed question. But difficult to answer. I am what you see." The man replies, before becoming engulfed in the dark fire and vanishing.

 _Those were my words…_

The whole ordeal was a mystery to me, but it was no hiding the fact that this 'man' possessed some dark and sinister power. His mention of Edge had me worried about Cloud, Tifa and Serah, who finally settled down there. The sound of engines pulls me from my thoughts, and from this height, I could see an airship heading towards the canyon on the horizon. _Must be Cid._

Dashing down to the bottom of the canyon, I race over to the elders, who sat around the fire. They all looked shocked by my urgent pace, but wait silently for me to address them.

"I must leave the canyon at once. My friends are in danger in Edge." I tell them. "You are to look after Cosmo canyon and it's people in my stead."

"Yes, Nanaki. Is it the man and woman who helped you in the cave?" Elder Hargo asks.

"Cloud Strife, yes… Lightning… is no longer with us.." I say with great sorrow.

"Did you say Cloud Strife?" A young man's voice breaks up my pause from behind.

I turn around to find a young man I had seen around the canyon for the last few months, stood next to his softly spoken girlfriend, who had piercing green eyes and dark blue hair. The man; who's name was Noel, fit in like a glove in the canyon, sharing many of our ways from the start. He was also an excellent hunter; his skills far surpassing his relatively short years.

"I did, indeed." I answer.

"I'm coming with you." He states, causing Elder Hargo and Elder Bughe to step up, but I shake my head.

"In your six months here you have been a valued member of the village, but you have never mentioned your past." I begin. "If I am to fully trust you with the life of my friend, now would be a good time to talk."

Noel looks to the green eyed girl; Yeul for permission, and she grants it with a smile. Whatever happened in their past, it was clear that they had decided to keep it to themselves.

"Cloud trusted me with his life once.. I helped him and Serah find Lightning.. Or at least, tried too.." Noel tells me, trying to be as brief as possible. "I fought alongside them. I'd like to do it again."

"By my calculations, that airship will be here in four minutes." I say, gesturing to the ever nearing airship. "I suggest you get your stuff quickly."

Before I had uttered my last word, the young man bolts like a wild chocobo into the canyon, returning with his swords with a minute to spare. The airship Cid had brought was a different model to the one that was swallowed up by the northern crater. It lands at the bottom of the crater, lowering a ramp as it hovers inches from the ground. _No more ropes to climb.. At last.._ The young hunter kisses his lover goodbye, and the pair of us enter the rear of the ship, which closes itself behind us.

"Nanaki!" Yuffie practically screams, hugging me so tightly I could barely breathe, although it would be a lie to say I didn't miss her.

"You get a wakeup call from tall dark an' scary too?" Barret asks me, to which I nod.

"That poor man had to see you in your sailors outfit." Yuffie teases.

"Who's the stowaway?" Cid asks, noticing Noel, who lingered silently at the back.

"Noel Kreiss, pleased to meet ya." The hunter introduces himself.

"Oh, well why didn't you say so?!" Cid says in his sarcastic tone. "Nanaki, who the hell is he?"

"A friend of Cloud and Serah's." I answer bluntly. "How long will it take to get to Edge?" I ask, hoping to divert his attention.

"The Shera will get there in no time at all, but we gotta pick Vince up first. You just keep ye' fur on!"

"The Shera?" Barret grins.

"Not a god damn word.." Cid warns with flushed cheeks.

 **Cloud's POV**

"Come on, Marlene, let's head back." I tell Barret's adopted daughter, who clings to my hand.

The three of us walk back through the forest towards the forgotten city with caution. By now, Kadaj's and his gang had long gone, returning the beautiful place back to it's peaceful state, which dulled my sense of failure. In the distance, I find my bike laying on it's side, in the dirt, and Marlene rushes over to it. I on the other hand turn to the small vessel of water, where Claire's crystallized prison stood. For a moment, I just stand in front of her, trying to colour in the transparent statue with my memories. _Will I ever see you again?_

"She's pretty." Marlene's voice breaks me from my thoughts.

"She is." I agree proudly.

"That's Serah's big sister, Lightning?" She asks.

"Yeah.. She's just like her sister. A little taller.. And a lot angrier." I smile to my self.

"She's a good person, though." Marlene tells me. "She saved Tifa."

Turning away from Claire, I look down at the little girl with a confused frown, silently asking her to explain what she meant. It was certainly true that Claire had protected most of the group at one time or another in the many battles along the way, but none that Marlene would know about.

"When that man attacked Tifa in the church, a big, pink lightning bolt shot down from the sky and hit him." She explained. "After that, the man didn't go near Tifa."

If I hadn't seen the pink lightning in Valhalla, I would have put Marlene's story down to over imagination or at best an extremely unlikely natural event. But I had seen Claire summon the lightning before.. Is she still aware inside that crystal? I'm not sure if that was a good thing or not. To be aware of the world around you, but imprisoned by your own body was a truly sadistic thing the Fal'cie dreamed up. Turning back to Claire, I look into her eyes, wondering if she could see how hard I was trying. Cloud she feel the touch of my fingers on her face? Or the love I had confessed to her?

"Tseng and Elena are not far from here. I shall get them to return Lightning to Edge." Vincent states. "Now go."

I linger for a moment, taking in as much of Claire as I could; terrified that it might be the last time I see her. Taking Marlene by the hand, I walk her over to my bike, only letting go to pick the black machine back up. Despite quite a high speed crash, Cindy's creation suffered only some scratched paint; a testament to her skill. Throwing my leg over the seat, I fire up the bike, before finally scooping up Marlene, and placing her in front of me. After giving a brief nod to Vincent, we head off through the moonlit forest, towards Bone village, where we'd catch the ferry back to Midgar's north shore.

 **Vincent's POV**

I head back through the gentle forest, which haunts the demon inside of me. Although it's words are rare, I feel it's displeasure for this ancient place. Tseng and Elena gasp as I enter one of the giant, shell houses that I had been using for their recovery, but soon relax at the sight of me. It would be a while before the Turk's steely nerves returned.

"Follow me." I order, before returning back outside.

"Where are we going?" Elena questions, but I do not answer.

Instead, I lead the pair through the forest in silence, only pausing briefly at the sight of the pink haired woman's dried blood on the silvery bark of the tree she used to hide from us. I do not pretend to know her guilt, but there was no hiding from my own. Like many times in my seemingly limitless life, I ask myself the same question. Did I make the right decision? By allowing you to go unnoticed by Cloud and the others, had I doomed you to this? Yet another sin in an ever growing list..

"That's-?!" Elena squeaks, when her eyes fall on the pinkette's crystalline body.

"Lightning Farron." Tseng finishes her outburst.

"I need you to contact Rufus and have her returned to the sector five church." I explain, before a cold shiver runs through my body.

"Carefully..." A deep voice I had not sensed approaching echo's from behind.

I draw my weapon and take aim at a muscular man with purple hair that approached slowly from the tree line. He displayed no hostile behaviour, but I can hear Chaos roaring with excitement in my head, sensing something dark and familiar, beating in the man's chest.

"God himself would not be able to save you from Cloud Strife if you damaged his beloved." The man says, stopping just feet from me.

"What are you?" I ask.

"I was about to ask you the same thing.." The man replies, holding out his open palm.

I watch as a dark, smoke like energy seeps from his flesh, but it does not dissipate in the air as expected. Instead, I feel my own body drawing it in without my control, feeding the demon inside of me. I take a step back and readjust my grip on Cerberus, as I try to determine if this was a threat I could deal with on my own, but the man turns his back to us and begins to walk away.

"I know you shy away from conflict, but will you stand idle while the people who call you friend fight for their lives?" He asks, taking my silence as no. "Your ride to edge shall be here shortly."

Then, like smoke, the purple haired man vanishes, leaving behind the distant him of an airship. I point in the direction of the nearest clearing, and send the two Turks to flag down the ship, while I scoop up Lightning's rigid structure. The pair surely wanted answers; it was in their nature as Turks, but they would have to wait. First, I needed to keep my promise to Cloud, and then break my promise to myself.. Although I don't feel like I belong in this word, I will fight for it..

"Nobody said anything about a pair of Shinra!" Cid barked as the rear hatch of the airship opened.

"Now is not the time." I tell the pilot, who looks lost for words at the sight of Lightning. "We must get to Edge quickly."

 **Cloud's POV**

"Oh, wow! Look at the size of that skull!" Marlene gasps as we finally break through the tree line and enter the excavation site that was Bone village.

Much to Marlene's disappointment, I head straight through the village, only stopping at the small pier, only to see the ferry on the horizon.

"She'll be back in about an hour, buddy." One of the docking crew tell me.

Turning off the bike, I walk with Marlene, back into the village, and into a cafe that was built inside the ribcage of a long dead, giant animal. I rip off the cloak that covered my geostigma, and wrap the shivering girl up with it, before placing her on a seat closest to the fireplace on the opposite end of the small cafe.

"One hot chocolate, please." I ask the old lady that stood behind the counter as I take out a ten Gil note.

I return to my seat next to Marlene, who's eyes light up when I hand her the steaming mug. A smile escapes my lips when she downs it all in a few seconds, but it takes me by surprise when she climbs onto my lap and rests her brunette head on my chest. In less than a minute, I feel her head go limp, and for the next fifty minutes, I hold the little girl tightly in my arms, enjoying the strange warmth in my heart.

"Wake up, sleepy head!" Marlene shouts down my ear. _Must have dozed off.._

I look out of the pane of glass that was wedged between the two gigantic ribs, quickly finding the ferry beginning to dock.

"Let's go see Tifa." I smile, leading the girl outside.

The icy wind bites our skin as we return to the bike, and load it onto the ferry. By the time it pulls up at the north shore of Midgar, the sun is already bursting from the horizon, signalling the start of a new day. By now, Claire would have been brought back to the church, and although I wanted to see her, I needed to see Tifa. The ever decaying ruins of Midgar go by quickly, and soon I'm in Edge, heading towards seventh heaven.

When we finally get there, we're met with a closed sign on the door with a small note attached, which read: _Back in an hour._ Marlene looked exhausted, so I climb off the bike before lifting her off the leather seat, so she could go inside and rest.

"Does it hurt?" She asks, with a look of great concern as she brushes her fingers over my geostigma.

"Hmm.. A bit." I answer truthfully. "But not as bad as Denzel's."

"Is there a cure?" She continues, looking up at me with hopeful eyes.

"..I dunno.." I sigh, unsatisfied with the answer myself.

"After all you did.. You've been trying so hard to find a cure for Denzel."

"You knew about that?" I ask, amazed at the little girl's perceptiveness.

"Cloud, you should clean off your desk once in a while." Marlene grins.

"Maybe I should." I agree

"So.. Is that why? Is that the reason why you had to leave, Cloud? Because you couldn't fix Denzel? Or because you had the sickness too?"

"I just thought.." I begin. "I thought I was letting you all down.. Without Claire, I didn't know what to do.. I couldn't even look after myself.."

"How you supposed to look after yo family if you can't even look after yo self!" Marlene shouts in a mock impression of her father. ".. Or at least that's what daddy says. Cloud, don't give up."

"In the past you've always looked after me. You, and Denzel, and Serah, and Tifa. You were there whenever I needed you. Well now, it's my turn." I tell her, crouching down and placing my hand on her head. "Go on now. Get some rest. I'll go find Tifa and Serah."

As Marlene shut the door behind her, distant screams fill the air, resonating from the centre of the makeshift city. I look up to the sky at the sound of a thunderous crack, to find a summoning glyph in the air above the central plaza. It must be Kadaj using my materia.. Setting off towards the centre of the city, I hear a familiar hum in the air between the sound of screaming, and my eyes scan the sky to find an airship. As I get closer, I get a quick look at the Bahamut between the buildings, but I can only imagine what sort of damage it's doing.

 **Tifa's POV**

My eyes open to the sight of Denzel running at the huge dragon with clenched fist. I open my mouth to scream at him, only to watch Barret come into view, stopping Denzel in his tracks. Marlene's father opens fire on the summon, causing it to shriek in pain as he tells the boy to go keep Marlene safe.

"Barret!" I gasp in surprise.

He runs head first into battle, but my eyes are pulled away when I feel something furry brush past my leg. Nanaki races past us all in a flash of red, with Cait Sith clinging onto his back for dear life. With one swift leap, he clamps down on the summon's neck, as Reeve's avatar casts ultima on it, bringing it crashing into the ground. I watch on as Barret opens fire, but the dragon uses it's huge wings to lift itself off the ground and charge towards him.

My mouth opens, ready to scream at him to get out of the way, but something comes flying from behind me, striking the dragon's head with a metallic swipe. The three of us turn to watch a figure buried inside of a parachute land in front of us. After a brief fight with the large piece of fabric, Yuffie emerges with a cool composure, only for it to vanish when she's almost sick.

"Alright! Who's been touching my materia?!" The young girl shouts.

"The bad guys, naturally." I grin, before watching her join the battle.

"Who's that?" Denzel asks, but another shadow lands in front of us.

"She's a beaut!" Cid says with his trademark cocky grin. "My Shera, the latest model. I'll give you the grand tour afterwards!" He adds, waving at us casually as he jogs towards the monster without a care in the world.

"Where can I buy a phone?" A toneless, gravelly voice sounds from behind, not stopping for pleasantries like the others, but I guess that was just how Vincent was.

"Who's he?" Denzel asks again.

"They're our friends." I say with great pride. "Denzel, can you make it to the bar?"

The mousy haired boy gave me an assertive nod, so I set off towards the nearest street, only to find that he wasn't following. I turn to find a face struck with fear, as he watched people collapse in pain from the disease he suffered from. Rushing over to him, I take his trembling hand in mine until he looks away from the bodies. A warm, motherly smile was all that was needed to pull him away from his thoughts, and again we try to leave the town centre. Again, I only manage a few steps, when the high pitched shriek of a shadow creeper screeches behind.

"Enough!" I huff, turning around on my heel and kicking the pouncing monster in it's soft underbelly.

Thick, black smoke bellows from the ground around me, sending me flying into the air. Three of the spiny monsters form from the dark plumes, but them I bat them off in mid air, they quickly form around Denzel.

"Denzel!" I shout, while still in mid air, but before I could do anything, a giant ball of energy rockets past me into some unfinished construction work, which explodes with tremendous force, turning my world black.

 **A/N: Apologies for the delay, I've had the most stressful 2 weeks ever. Was supposed to be taking mine and a couple of my mates bikes to a track day, so we hired a guy who said he'd load them all up in his truck, but he pulled out the week before and left us in the shit, so I decided to do my HGV licence in three days and just rent one so we didn't loose all of our non refundable track day money lol. Probs never need it again but it's good to have I suppose lol.**

 **Today however is my birthday, so I've told everyone to piss off and leave me alone so I can chill (I'm that antisocial haha) so while it's a short one, it's here.. Just like to thank you all for your kind words about GMW, it will be continuing. Not sure if ill do alternating chapters, or something, but it's not dead. Especially now I've got an expert on hand to fix my mistakes :P**

 **Thank you again for all of your support. The hundreds of reviews and PM's is what keeps this story going when I feel like I've lost my way.**

 **Love you all**

 **Wolf**


	71. The Savior Rises

**Cloud's POV**

Pinning back the throttle, I burst out of the street and in to the central plaza, where I'm met with the heart wrenching possibility that I might loose more of the people I love. Denzel; the young boy who had become an important member of our family stood defenseless against three of Kadaj's horned pets, and Tifa lay on the ground further back, oblivious to the half finished buildings that where about to bury her under a mountain of concrete and steel. In an instant, all my failings replay in my head, but I promise I wouldn't fail anybody else..

Without a second to spare, I open up the sword compartment on my bike and pull out my partly assembled sword. With a wide slashing motion, I eject the hollow blade from the main sword, and watch as it arcs around like Yuffie's Shuriken, cutting the creatures in half and turning them into the dark mist they were born from. Denzel's face lights up when he sees me, but in a heartbeat I had passed him, keeping my eyes fixed firmly on Tifa.

I loose sight of her wine coloured eyes as the concrete structures collapse around her, but I cut my way through them, still with the bike's throttle pinned firmly to it's stop. To my relief, I see her stand between the clouds of dust and tongues of flame, and with my arm outstretched, I grip her by the waist, pulling her onto the bike as I ride to safety.

"Sorry that it took me so long." I apologise.

"It's all right." She says softly, resting her hand on my shoulder.

A glimmer of silver heading towards me catches my eye, and on instinct I hold out my main blade, catching the hollow sword in on quick swoop. I circle back around to Denzel, stopping next to him so Tifa can climb off. She rushes over to him like a worried mother, but my eyes are fixed on my corrupted summon, which is tearing apart the city.

"Marlene will be safe. I took her home." I tell the brunette. "...I feel lighter.."

"Hmm?"

"Maybe I lost some weight.. All that dilly dallying." I continue, telling her that I wasn't scared any more without saying the words.

"I'm gonna go back and see Marlene, okay Cloud? We'll wait for you." The young boy tells me as he begins to jog to the nearest side street. "Hey, Cloud.. See you there, right?"

I give the boy a firm nod, silently promising him that I would return. I sense Tifa smiling as she climbs on the back of the bike, and I feel the pride radiating off her as we set off to stop the summon. As we get closer, I hear the unmistakable crack of Barret's arm mounted machine gun, the foul mouth of Cid Highwind, as well as the fearsome roar of Nanaki. They were all here, fighting for the city, despite our abrupt departure after meteor. I park my bike at the edge of the city that was still under construction, and begin the climb to get in range of the dragon.

By the time I get to a high enough vantage point to assess the situation, I notice Cid ram his spear into the dragon's skull, saving Yuffie from an almost certain death, but also put Barret in immediate danger. The summon's giant ball of energy hit's the steel support frame of a partially constructed building, which Barret is stood under. Returning my sword to my back, I leap down to Marlene's father and grab him by the collar as I pass, throwing him to safety.

"The hell you bin?!" He demands, which was as close to a thank you as I'll ever get.

Ignoring Barret, I look down on the dragon; which was grounded with Cid's attack, as I draw my main blade and serrated sword. Hurling myself off the narrow, steel platform I was stood on, I fall towards the dragon, which must sense my attack, because it turns it's attention away from the others, just in time to catch my blade between it's teeth. It spits it back out once I loose all of my momentum, but quickly goes on the offensive with it's armoured head. I slash at it's stone like exoskeleton, but after a couple of cuts, it becomes clear that I'd never kill it this way.

Kicking off it's head, I jump backwards and land on a steel beam as I combine my swords, hoping that the added weight would help punch through it's armour. It's enormous wings kick up a cloud of dust as it takes off towards me. Again, I hack at the dragon's skull, causing nothing but sparks as I'm pushed further and further up into the sky. In order to stop this thing, I needed one all powerful blow.. Kadaj's summon continues to gain altitude as I begin to form a plan, so I wait for the opportunity between it's attacks to leap up high and bring my blade behind my head, before bringing it crashing back down. I feel it's stony face shatter under the edge of my sword, and the beast lets out an ear piercing shriek as it falls back down to earth.

"Not as tough as that Faeryl then?" I hear a familiar voice shout when me feet touch back down on the metal beam.

"Noel?!" I shout when I notice him land next to me.

"Long time no see." The hunter smiles, giving me a thumbs up. "Thought you were dead."

"Not yet." I scoff. "Where have you been?"

"Cosmo canyon with Yeul. I never realized our furry leader was your friend." Noel tells me, before his smile drops. "Sorry about Light.."

"Nothing you could have done.." I answer.

A shriek pulls us from our conversation, followed by a blast of air from the injured dragon's wings. It had taken off again, this time with a murderous gaze and tongues of blue flame pouring from it's snout. If I didn't stop it soon, it would decimate the city.

"Boost?" Noel questions, cupping his hands together.

I give him a nod, before placing my boot in his hands, and the hunter launches me into the air like a missile. With the summon gaining altitude quicker than I could catch him, I try to work out how I could use the metal scaffolding to my advantage, when I spot Barret's outstretched hand on the metal beam above. I spot the pink ribbon on his wrist as he grabs my hand and launches me like a rocket at the dragon with incredible strength. Flying past the winged beast, I bring my sword down on it's damaged eye, but it predicts my attack and turns it's stone like beak in time to stop my blow and swap me out of the sky.

As I fall, I spot the others climbing up the steel framework of what would be the tallest building in Edge, and when I spot Cid below me, I understand their plan. After stabilizing myself in the air, the pilot times his swing and uses his spear as a springboard to bat me back into the fight.

"There ya go!" I head Cait Sith's excitable voice shout as Nanaki grips my shoulder pauldron and throws me higher.

Yuffie is next to leap off the ledge to meet me in mid air. Like Noel, she grips my boot to give me a boost, but flips around as she does so, usual all the strength her small frame could muster. Reassembling my sword, I keep my eye on the summon until it's blocked from my view by Vincent; who's red cloak flows through the air like smoke.

"Fly." The former Turk grunts as he uses his inhuman strength to propel me higher.

Finally, I see Tifa, who leaps from the tallest point of the steel structure to grip my wrist. I lock eyes with her for a moment, noticing the dirt and scrapes on her face for the first time. Her gaze silently tells me what I have to do, but it breaks into a warm expression as she throws me to my enemy.

"No giving up!" I hear her shout in an upbeat tone.

The summon releases it's build up of energy in the form of a fifty meter wide, blue fireball, which is heading straight towards me. I grit my teeth, ready for the pain that was about to be inflicted on my body, and hope that I can make it through the other end. I enter the searing ball of energy, which burns into my flesh until my vision starts to turn white, where a spot a slender hand adorned with golden bangles reach out from the light and take my hand. I look up the find Aeris smiling down at me, as a warm sensation washes over me, halting the pain.

" _Ready?"_

To the dragon's surprise, I burst from the ball of energy and pass it's line of sight, before dragging my sword along the soft tissue between it's wings. Running down it's spine, I press my blade in deeper, until I get to the end of the tail and my sword runs out of flash to cut. It begins to dissolve into the energy it was comprised off as it falls to the ground, taking out a few buildings before it finally disappears. My momentum quickly runs out, and I fall back down to earth, landing next to Noel, who gives me a grin.

"Looks like you didn't need my help after all." He jokes.

Just when I thought peace was restored to the troubled city, a building a few blocks away bursts into flames. From this distance, I can't see the cause, but it must be Kadaj. And with potentially an arsenal of my materia at his disposal, he needed to be stopped quickly. Jumping back down to solid ground, I locate my bike without so much as a 'cya' to Noel, and fire the engine into life. It takes less than a minute to make it to Kadaj, who's clutching a glossy black box as the base of the burning building. After Vincent told me what Rufus had done, I knew what was inside that box, and there was no way I'd let him use it. The silver haired man must have heard my bike racing down the street, because the second he locks eyes with me, he panics and mounts his own motorcycle. Yazoo aims his gunblade at me, hoping to slow me down, but an arrow zips past my ear and into his shoulder, throwing off the shot.

"We late to the party?!" Snow's confident voice breaks through the air as the silver haired man rips the arrow from his body and mounts his bike. "We'll hold 'em off! You do what you gotta do!"

I turn around to find Snow on a rented motorcycle, with Serah stood on the seat at the back, clutching her compound bow. I didn't want to put them in any danger, but they were capable fighters, and if I didn't stop Kadaj, we'd all be in danger anyway. Gratefully, I give the pair a nod, and we chase after Kadaj and his gang.

Thankfully, the trio take the highways that circle Midgar, reducing the chance of collateral damage. With my sights set on Kadaj, I don't spot Loz approach from the right until he rams his bike into mine, pressing me up against the concrete barrier. I attempt to push back, before the side of Cindy's masterpiece ad been ground down against the concrete, but I was pinned. The brute raises his barbed bracer weapon to strike, but another razor sharp arrow leaves Serah's bow, hitting the man in the back and bursting out of his abs. Making the mistake of letting go of the handlebars, Loz pulls the arrow from his gut, giving me enough time to eject my bike's weapon compartment, freeing my swords and knocking his bike across the highway.

"Go! We got this!" Snow shouts, as Serah continues to fire at the pair.

Pinning the throttle back, I race after Kadaj, who swerves violently down onto another highway, leaving me with no time to do the same. Keeping my eyes fixed on the highway that ran parallel to me, I notice it start to veer off towards the fallen plate of Midgar, and if I didn't get down there quickly, I'd loose him in the wreckage. Taking a deep breath, I swerve left violently, smashing through the concrete barrier and land on the highway below; inches from Kadaj. Our bikes lock together, and the silver haired man looks panicked when he spots the ribbon of highway stop abruptly, but my eyes are fixated on him and the glossy black box he clung onto.

The pair of us get launched off the end of the highway and separate in mid air, giving me enough time to withdraw my main sword as I land on the giant mound of dirt that served as a barrier to keep the people of Edge from wandering into Midgar. I thrust my sword at Kadaj, who does the same, causing both of our weapons to deflect from their targets by inches. We remain locked in position; neither one of us willing to break away, until the debris caused by the fallen plate and Meteor narrows the dirt track so much that he had no choice. We separate violently, causing me to bring myself to a near standstill to avoid being skewered by a mess of rusted steel that stood in the ground.

My eyes widen in fear when I spot Kadaj burst through the church doors and out of my sight. Claire had been returned there under my strict instructions, and yet again, I'd put her in danger. Racing towards the church, I spot him through the gap of the old wooden doors, sat on his motorcycle in the bed of flowers. Without a second to spare, I burst through the doors as Kadaj uses my materia to bring down one of the ornate, stone pillars down, to use it as a ramp to escape through the roof. The pillar continues to fall as he rides up it, causing me to duck under it and slide to a stop in the flowerbed. I could only imagine the look on Aeris face if she had seen what had become of her flowers..

Kadaj fires another blast of energy, hitting the flowerbed right in front of my bike and sending me flying into the altar where Claire had been propped up. When the dust finally settles, I'm left with a sad sight. My bike lay damaged, on it's side next to an earthy crater that once housed the only flowers to ever grow in Midgar. I stagger to my feet, dazed and unarmed, looking up at Kadaj; who briefly wore a wicked grin, which faded when the crater he had just created started to fill with water.

The body of water began to build, before rising into the air as if it had a will of it's own. The shimmering pillar of water climbed to the roof of the church, and began raining down on the pair of us. The way Kadaj was acting, I thought it was acid, but nothing had felt more soothing to my skin. The constant throb of the stigma faded, along with it's dark reminder that death was near, and for the first time in over a year, I feel whole again. Finally, the healing waters subside, and the silver haired man's smugness returns.

"Brother! I'm with her at last!" He shouts down to me.

"So what's gonna happen now?" I ask, hoping to confirm his intentions.

"Mother's going to tell me." He answers, looking down at the black vessel with pride.

".. I guess a remnant wouldn't really know.." I reply.

"So what if I'm a puppet.. Once upon a time.. You were too!" He roars, firing another blast of energy into the church.. But not at me.

 **Lightning's POV**

" _The moment has come for you to choose, Claire Farron. Will you give in to your destiny in exchange for the power to stop this?"_

"What is my destiny?" I question, still unsure about the voice that dangled my heart's wish in front of my face.

" _The end of days is on the horizon. The future of humanity clings to a thread, thanks to you and your sister. Soon shall come a tipping point which humanity is destined to succumb to. You are to gather the souls of this world and bring them to me at the end of days. Only by my light will humanity live on."_

"Gather souls?… How?" I continue to probe.

" _I shall turn you into a redeemer of souls.. A bringer of light.. A saviour of humanity. Choose now… For the same hammer that shatters glass, forges steel. Now, are you glass or steel?"_

"One year." I blurt out in desperation. "One year of happiness.. As myself.. For an eternity of servitude."

"… _..Agreed.."_

 **Cloud's POV**

"No!" I scream as I try desperately to get between Claire and the blast, only to watch her glass body shatter into a cloud of diamonds. I watch at the thousands of tiny pieces dissolve into the water, as I frantically try to scoop what was left into my arms, only for that to liquefy and seep through my grasp. There was no bullet or blade in the world that could have caused me so much pain as watching my last hope vanish into nothingness. All of my heart's desires shattered in a heartbeat, but behind the overwhelming feeling of loss grew rage. Rage I did not believe I was capable of.

"Kadaj!" I roar as I take my sword from my bike.

The man bolts from the roof and out of sight, but not for long. I find him making his way up the large reactor reservoir that stood beside the Shinra headquarters, clutching the box that contained the severed head of Jenova. I couldn't afford to let Kadaj have the time do do something with it, so I launch my sword at the top of the reservoir, while maintaining my grip on it's handle. The Fusion sword drags me along with it, under the sheer force of it's momentum, and by the time Kadaj stood up from his climb, I was right behind him.

Sensing my presence, he slashes blindly as he turns to face me, but his double bladed katana is stopped in it's tracks by my own sword. I break away and bring my weapon crashing down, but the man's materia enhanced body manages to leap back just in time, before running up my blade and slashing at my neck. Kadaj's blade hums as it skims over the top of my head, removing only a few strands of hair. Pulling my sword from the steel roof, I send kadaj into the air and leap after him. Before he gets the chance to strike, I bat him out of the sky and watch as he hits the roof of the structure with force. I land to the sound of Cid's airship approaching from behind, butt it only lingers for a moment, before turning away. They knew I had to do this alone..

Charging towards him, I slash at the remnant, and he does the same; locking our blades together. With my left hand, I remove my short sword from it's holder and aim for his neck, in an attempt to use both swords as a guillotine. Kadaj somehow manages to get his wrist against the hilt of my short blade, but with his main focus on clinging to the box, he knew it was soon to be over. I continue to squeeze my swords together, an inch at a time, until I could feel my main sword hover over his skin.

In a final act of desperation,, Kadaj raised he knee and kicks me in the chest; separating us briefly. I can see in his eyes that he was trying to figure out some form of strategy, and after a few seconds, he jumps high in the air, with his katana held in the reverse grip. Adding my short sword to the main blade, I wait until the last possible second to parry the slash, sending Kadaj over the edge of the Mako reservoir.

With my sword still held firmly in my grip, I walk over to the edge of the roof and jump down to the ledge a few feet below. Kadaj's gloved hand clings to the ledge as he looks down to watch his weapon fall to the ground, shimmering in the sunlight as it fell. I look down on him with hate filled eyes, knowing I'd won, but nothing could change what had happened.

"There's nothing I could do to you, to make up for what you've taken from me." I tell him, as I start to bring my sword up. "But I'm going to try.."

I thought it was seconds from being over, but the remnant does something I never expected him to do. He throws the box directly at me, and my instincts bring my weapon up to protect myself. My eyes are fixated on the glossy black box, which splits in half in mid air and begins to spill out a gruesome green liquid. Before I could react, Kadaj leaps from the ledge he was clinging to, and grabs the box with both hands, while in mid air.

"My reunion… Bet you're dying to watch." He says with a wicked grin, as he squeezes the box's contents into his body.

He begins to fall to the ground below, so I leap after him with my sword held out in front of me. After what felt like minutes, Kadaj lands on his feet as if stepping out of bed, and holds his arms up above him. The remnant had no weapon to protect himself, and at the speed I was falling, I felt sure that he was about to be cut in two. The impact was so fast and aggressive that I winced as the bones in my arms shook from the force. I didn't even feel the man get cut in two, and when I opened my eyes, I knew why.

"Good to see you… Cloud.." Sephiroth said with his smug voice.

My eyes widen in horror as I look into the eyes of the monster that refused to stay dead. He lets a wicked grin escape from his face, before launching me with so much force that I end up on top of the central reactor. By the time my feet had found a solid footing, the silver haired nightmare was already up there, waiting for me with his giant blade.

"You're geostigma is gone. That's t bad.." He says softly.

"Sephiroth! What do you want?" I demand.

"The last thought of geostigma is death.. Those remnants will join the lifestream and gurgle the planet.. Choking it.. Corroding it.." He begins. "..What I want, Cloud, is to sail the darkness of the cosmos, with this planet as my vessel. Just as my mother did, long ago.." He continues, holding up his right arm into the air, and bringing a darkness that spread across Midgar. "Then, one day, we'll find a new planet. And on it soil shall create a shining future."

"What about this planet?!" I bark.

"Well.. That's up to you, Cloud."

I grit my teeth and run at Sephiroth, but every slash I send his way was stopped with his immeasurable force. He seemed to be toying with me as I narrowly avoided his Masamune, which carved up the building we were stood on. Leaping in the air, to strike from above, I bring the Fusion sword down on the silver haired man; but he vanishes from my sight. Still in mid air, I quickly try to spot him, but it was too late. He flanks from the left and smashes me out of the sky, and through a nearby window of the Shinra building.

I feel the broken glass cut at my clothing, and the office furniture burst into nothing more than splinters on my back, before I finally hit an internal wall; winding me in the process. Knowing Sephiroth wasn't going to let me have a moment to catch my breath, I drag my body up and ready myself as he appears in the window. His black clothing make him almost invisible in the dark and damaged Shinra building, and it takes all of my focus to track his glowing cyan eyes and the brief shimmer of his blade before he strikes.

The internal walls of the building do little to shield me from the former Soldier, as he continues to attack relentlessly as I dart across the floor. Bright white sparks given off from our clashing swords are the only light source keeping me alive, and with each flash I see Sephiroth's wicked grin widen. He manages to get in front of me with his unmatched speed, but I manage to bring my sword up in time to stop his cut, and lock our blades together.

Sephiroth looks down on me with an amused smile as we fight for dominance, and in his carelessness, I spot my chance. Shifting my weight slightly, I break our swords apart and slam the flat edge of mine across his body with every ounce of strength I could muster. I watch as his back bursts through the roof at an angle, before punching a hole out of the side of the building, letting in what little natural light was outside. I jump up through the hole I had just made, landing on the edge of the building. I look down, hoping to find Sephiroth splattered on the ground below the Shinra building, but instead I hear a noise from above.

A flaming part of what looked like a reactor feed tube falls from the top of the building, dragging is mangled metal body down the building's face, where I was stood. I quickly jump from the building, to the nearest metal structure in front of me just as the flaming chunk of metal crashes down where I was stood. The sound of Sephiroth's sword whistling through the air gives me enough time to sidestep his slash and counter, sending him back into the air. I kick off the ground, not wanting to give him a second of rest.

"I've thought of a wonderful present for you.." Sephiroth says, as he slices through a large metal support that stuck out from what was left of the Shinra building.

I cut through it as I climb higher, until once again our swords meet.

"Shall I give you despair?" He adds, before all of my momentum vanishes and I start to tumble back to the ground.

With a pit of flames waiting for me at the base of the Shinra building, I quickly orientate myself and jam my sword into the outer wall of the tower; using it as a platform to balance on. My eyes quickly dart up to Sephiroth; who was stood just below the 70th floor.

"On your knees. I want you to beg for forgiveness." He says smugly, before using his power to break off most of President Shinra's personal floor.

It begins to fall, and I'm left with just seconds to think of an escape, or I'd be crushed by the rubble. Standing on the thick hilt of my blade, I separate my hollow blade from the main sword, and jab that in the wall a shoulders width apart from the first. Gripping both handles, I drop down between them and kick off the building, freeing my weapons at the same time. I cut through the first of the falling sections of building, and use them as platforms to jump from, until I finally reached the derelict Helicopter pad on the now roofless President's floor.

I drop onto my knees, exhausted, but the sound of boots behind me quickly forces me to stand again. I manage to block his first cut, but it terrifies me that he doesn't appear to be trying. Sephiroth feints another slash, but hits me across the face with his free hand instead, knocking me over. I roll back onto my feet, only to be met with a knee to the face, and his boot buried into my ribs, throwing me into the rubble that was where the desk of the most powerful man in Midgar once stood.

Releasing an annoyed growl, I climb to my feet and charge back outside. I channel every once of resentment for the man, and every bit of strength my body would lend me, to leap into the air and strike him down from above. Convinced it was too late for Sephiroth to counter, I bring down my Fusion sword, only for him to move like lightning and impale me with his Masamune; holding my in mid air.

"Is this the pain you felt before, Cloud?" He asks, as I use my free hand to grip the blade, to stop my sliding close to him. "let me remind you. This time, you won't forget.."

Still clinging onto the blade tightly, I feel my blood pour over my fingers and run down the hamon of his sword. Sephiroth holds me in the air with his left hand, as I single, jet black wing bursts out form his back. My eyes widen at the sight of his feathered appendage, which takes away the last of his humanity. Before I'm even given the mercy of passing out from the pain, the silver haired man launches me up into the air, and follows me with his single wing.

I only manage to parry two of his blows, before I feel his sword enter my chest again, before quickly retracting and stabbing my shoulder. More and more stabs come, targeting every part of my body, until finally, his blade bursts through the sole of my boot and continues going until it slices into my cheek. I grip the blade, desperate for the onslaught to stop, but I get smashed back down onto the helipad, unable to stand. I hear the blood hitting the metallic floor, before I force my eyes open to observe the chaos with my own eyes. The fact that I was breathing was a miracle in itself, but there wasn't this much blood when Aeris died..

"Tell me what you cherish most.. Give me the pleasure of taking it away.." Sephiroth says with a smile.

"..You already.. Have.." I cough.

 **Lightning's POV**

" _Arise, Saviour. Return from your shattered form to be reborn anew in God's divine light.. Enjoy the boundless power I have granted your feeble body, but never forget your oath.. In one year, you belong to me.."_

My eyes shoot open, and I immediately panic when I find myself in water. My hand bursts through the surface, and my feet quickly find the bottom, as I realize it was not deep. I stand in the small pool of water and quickly realize where I was. _The church.._

The beautiful flowerbed that once held the only flowers in Midgar was gone, and in its place was a small body of water that felt like bliss against my skin. I remain stood in the middle of it as I look down at my body. Leather armour covered my torso, and white cloaks; similar to my guardian corps jacket, hung from my waist, down to a pair of armoured boots.On my left arm was a blood red shield with ornate, black steel barbs that could be used as a weapon. In my right hand, I was disappointed not to find my gunblade, but a red and black longsword. I continue to examine what 'gifts' God had bestowed upon me, when something above briefly flickers in the light from the hole in the roof.

"Cloud!" I scream, as I watch Sephiroth pierce his body repeatedly, high above the Shinra tower.

I quickly leap out of the water and through the hole in the roof. Even with my new found speed and strength, I'd never make it up there in time to stop him. The thought of loosing him so quickly, was too much to bare, but then I hear Hope's voice in my head.

" _Cast your weapon to your destination."_

Shocked to hear his voice, I don't fully understand his words, but with nothing to loose, I launch my sword towards the Shinra building like a javelin, and watch as it sails through the air. I feel like an idiot for throwing away my weapon, but when it embeds itself into the building, I feel my body turn to light, and the handle of the sword find it's way back in my grip. Opening my eyes, I find myself clinging to the sword where it landed in the building, just below the fight. The ability to warp form place to place gave me an incredible advantage, but just doing it once made my stomach churn.

Before I make it to the top of the destroyed building, that once stood as a beacon of corruption for all of Gaia, the metallic smell of blood fills my heart with dread. I make it to the top to the horrifying scene of gore. Cloud was on his knees, with his back to me in an unbelievable amount of blood, using his sword to prop himself up as he looked up at Sephiroth.

The one winged devil switches his cyan gaze from Cloud to me, as the man that held my head collapsed. I glare at him with hateful eyes, but he just smiles before plummeting towards Cloud with his sword raised. Launching my sword at the ground in front of the blonde, I warp in time to protect him and lock swords with Sephiroth; who towers over me.

"You're looking less tense than the last time we met.." He mocks, referring to my crystal stasis.

"Go to hell." I snarl as I drop the tip of my blade to break the silver haired man's balance.

He recovers quickly, but it gives me that split second advantage to go on the offensive and kick him off the helipad and back into the building. I watch the shimmer of his blade through the dust and darkness, as I march towards him with an iron grip on my weapon. My march quickly turns into a run, but before I could get near, Sephiroth flicks the tip of his sword across the ground and sends a large chunk of one of the many marble pillars hurtling towards my head. I even surprise myself with my lightning fast reflexes, when I bring the edge of my blade up in front of me, cutting the polished chunk of stone in half. The silver haired man smiles as the two pieces fly past my head and bounce down the helipad, before finally tumbling off the edge. _He's testing me.._

Again, I launch my sword, this time directly at Sephiroth, but I instantly realize I'd made a terrible mistake. Just like the last time, I vanish into light, and my hand finds my weapon's handle before I materialise. But this time I'm met with the man's fist, which collides with my face like a train; dropping me to the ground.

"Too predictable.." The cyan eyes man sighs as my vision fades in and out. "Perhaps I should return you to where you were found." He adds, grabbing my limp body by the leg and dragging me down a flight of purple velvet trimmed stairs, that bore traces of blood.

I spit out a mouthful of blood as my head begins to stop spinning, and the loose grip on my sword tightens. Slashing at the man who was dragging me away, I catch his shoulder pauldron with the tip of my blade, but manage to carve a shallow wound between his shoulder blades nonetheless. Sephiroth's vice grip around my ankle vanishes The former soldier spins on the spot, but I hold out my empty hand and hit him with a bolt of crimson lightning, which sends him across a long reception desk.

"hmm.. Where did you find this strength?" He asks, cutting the desk in half as he walks towards me.

"I'm not about to tell you!" I growl, before attacking him relentlessly.

For the first time, Spehiroth looks like he's concentrating on his blocks and counters, as I begin to feel the limits of my new powers. Another bolt of lightning causes him to flinch long enough for me slash upwards, sending the winged monster through the roof, and back outside.

"He doesn't look like he's got long left.." Sephiroth says, pointing to Cloud with the tip of his sword when I leap through the freshly made hole after him. "Should I end his suffering?"

I can feel my blood boiling with anger and contempt for Sephiroth, but I knew he was right. If I didn't stop this soon, it would be too late. Throwing my sword a few feet to his right, I warp beside him, and instantly duck under his giant sword, which hums past my ear. With a mighty heave, I rip my sword from the floor and send Sephiroth high into the air, before leaping up after him. Pouring every once of hate I have for the man into every swing, I hack down against his sword repeatedly, waiting for his strength to waiver. Instead, I slam my sword down onto his, and my own shatters down the middle, releasing a mass of crimson lightning.

There was no hiding the horror on my face as I watch half of my sword fall to the ground. Sephiroth smiles as he recoils his sword behind his back, and with nothing more than a handle and what was left of my broken blade, I had no way of of defending myself. _It's all over.._

"Claire!" I hear Cloud's voice shout from below, as his sword comes between me and Sephiroth, before bursting into multiple swords.

On instinct, I reach out for the furthest sword, and to my relief, I'm warped over to it. Gripping it quickly, I launch myself towards Sephiroth, and drag the blade through his body as I pass. Releasing my grip, I warp to the next weapon, and then the next. Each time cutting through Sephiroth from all angles, until all I was left with was my broken sword.

I fall from the sky, landing on an adjacent building from Cloud, and watch Sephiroth's single black wing consume him. His feathery appendage turns to smoke, leaving behind Kadaj, who falls to the ground at Cloud's feet. I look over to the blonde, and our eyes meet for the first time in what feels like an eternity. There he stood; battered and bruised, and surrounded by his mass of swords, but alive. I can't contain the mass of emotion, which bursts out of me in the form of a tear filled smile, as I try to figure out a way to get over to him.

My heart stops at the sound of a gunshot, which bursts out of Cloud's chest, dropping him to his knees.

"NO!" I scream.

"We'll go… Together.." One of the other remnants coughs from behind the blonde.

I throw the handle of my broken sword over to Cloud, but I remain here, as the crimson sword clatters at his feet, leaving me to watch. To my relief, Cloud climbs to his feet and pulls the nearest of his swords from the ground, before charging at the pair. My eyes dart between Cloud and the two remnants, but I'm blinded by a huge blast, which engulfs the whole rooftop. I make my way over as quickly as possible, walking through the flames and bellowing smoke, but there wasn't a trace of anyone. _This can't be how it ends.._

 **A/N: HUGE delay. I do apologise, but it is twice as long as usual. I really hated writing the fight scene as it's so hectic, so I hope I've done it justice. Couldn't have done it without LadyA's constant advice and support, and If you haven't checked her out yet, read her CloudxLight story (It's perfection).**

 **As you know, Cloud is only 'dead' for a week in AC so don't worry, They'll be together (Permanently) from the first few paragraphs of the next chapter. It's gonna be Christmas themed and quite light hearted, as I feel it would be a nice change from the 70 chapters of moods and misery.**

 **Thanks for all our your patients and support, and let me know what you think!**

 **Wolf**


	72. The Mended Heart

**Tifa's POV**

"Lightning has returned..." Vincent says in his calm, gravelly voice. Never breaking from his stoic body language; not even to point.

"You shittin' me?!" Barret shouts, as he barges past us all and squishes his face against the glass window of the bridge. "Well I'll be damned..."

"Moody's back?!" Cid barks. "Well that's two years of Tifa's efforts down the drain," he jokes. "Pinkey! Get your scrawny ass onto the bridge, now!" he adds, roaring down the airship's intercom to Serah; who was in the back Stitching Noel up.

While I knew that any thread of a future I had with Cloud had just been cut away, I can't contain my excitement when I see that pale pink hair rippling in the wind. Serah and a half bandaged up Noel rush through to the bridge, oblivious to why she'd been summoned so abruptly, but it only takes her a few seconds to spot her older sister. She races to Barret's side to stare through the window, and the pair of them turn to Cid and demand that he lands.

"I need to go help my sister," Serah tells Cid.

"Hell yeah! Park this thing, Cid!" Barret agrees.

"No..." Vincent's voice silences the room. "It must be her... And her alone..."

"Why?!" Yuffie objects, dropping half of her materia on the polished teak floor.

"Sephiroth is trying to take everything she holds dear... And if we interfere, we may do more harm than good..." The former Turk answers.

"How you figure that out, Vince?" Cid asks with a shared scepticism.

"None of you pose any real danger to Sephiroth, but to pose a danger to Cloud and Lightning if she has to focus her attention on defending an ever increasing battlefield."

"I believe Vincent is right, Miss Farron," Nanaki agrees. "I know it's hard to watch. But sometimes doing nothing can yield the best outcome."

"She's got five minutes..." Barret huffs, before turning back to the glass.

After a tense few minutes, Sephiroth falls, and everyone breathes a sigh of relief. There was so much damage...so much destruction...but it was all over. The sky cleared up and I find myself grinning from ear to ear when the two soul mates lock eyes. Rain pours down from above, settling down the dust and fire that bellowed from the Shinra building, but through the rain, a single gunshot cracks through the air. At first, I don't see anything, but Cloud drops to his knee briefly, before charging at Loz and Yazoo; who appear out of nowhere.

Just before Cloud strikes, a huge explosion levels the platform and masks it with a thick veil of dust. The blast was so fierce, the shockwave cracks the glass of the bridge, and before I could open my mouth, Cid flew the Airship over to where Cloud was like a missile. By the time we all jump down to the burning platform, Light was already burrowing through the rubble, screaming his name at the top of her lungs. I run over to the pinkette, and pull her out of the way when I notice the flames dance across her skin, but she rips her arm out of my grip and vanishes deeper into the smoke.

"Yuffie, ice materia." Nanaki advises.

The young ninja extinguishes the flames with a quick blast of frost, revealing Light; who's knee deep in chunks of stone and steel. We continue to dig through the wreckage in silence, until Cloud's sword is pulled from the mass of mangled steel by Cid. Nanaki digs his nose into the ground where the sword was found, but not even the faintest of scent remained. I was already coming to terms with reality, but we keep on digging until the faint moonlight is all that guides our search.

"He's gone, Light." Cid says. The only one of us brave enough to break the silence. "Come on, let's get you somewhere warm."

We all watch for her reaction, but other than a brief pause, she pretends she didn't hear the pilot. The pinkette continues digging for a few more minutes, before she finally collapses in a heap; tears streaming down her face, and blood pouring from her fingers.

"We're gonna start looking again at first light, right?" Serah asks, wiping her eyes.

"It would be fruitless to continue..." Vincent replies, not sugar coating his answer at all. "Shall we take her to the bar?" he adds as he scoops up Light.

"..Yeah..." I answer, desperately trying to keep it together. _What do I tell the kids?_

 **Claire's POV**

I wake up when the bright lights of a bar are flicked into life, and quickly wriggle out of Vincent's grip. I make it less than a step before I'm forced to reach out for the nearest table to support myself. I slide down onto one of the bench seats around the table, and Serah sits next to me; placing a comforting arm over my shoulder. A small glass of golden liquid is placed in front of me, and I look up from the glass to find Tifa; whose eyes were red with tears.

"You tell Marlene?" I ask, feeling awful about what she's just had to do. "I'm sorry..."

"Poor Denzel will be heartbroken..." Serah adds, causing me to look at her briefly, before returning my gaze to Tifa. _Denzel?_

"He was orphaned when Shinra dropped the plate on the slums," Tifa explains, quickly reading my expression. "Cloud found him in the church and took him home."

"Hey, kid." Barret begins. "If there's anythin' I can do for ya... Well, you just name it, ya hear?"

"Thanks... But if I were you, I'd keep my distance... I'm cursed..." I reply a little more coldly than I had intended as I stand up and leave the bar.

I walk through the foreign town that was lit up in the moonlight, in no particular direction. My body begged for rest, and my heart begged for mercy, but with Midgar to my back, I walk through the town until it's densely packed buildings start to thin, and slithers of grass start to take over, before I finally reach the edge, which has a large signpost telling me Kalm was several miles to the east. Without thinking, I point myself in the general direction and begin to walk. I knew that if I stayed, I'd be showered with pity, and that was the last thing I needed.

A few hours later, I stumble through the doorway of the rustic inn where I began my journey, and in an even worse condition. The old man behind the counter looks like he's seen a ghost when he catches my eye, but immediately exits from behind the counter to help me.

"Well now…Even after all of this time, you don't look no better than when you left here all of those years ago," he jokes. "Lookin' for a room, miss?"

"Yeah- I mean..." I hesitate when it quickly dawns on me that I have no money.

"Don't you be worryin' bout that," he smiles. "That young fellow who brought you here paid for at least a week. Way I see it, I owe you six more nights."

"Thanks," I smile, grateful for his generosity, and surprised by his memory.

"Same room's free. If you want breakfast, be down for eight AM sharp."

I thank the man again, and head upstairs. In the corner stood the same mahogany chest of drawers that was there the last time I was here, and on top of it sat a neatly folded white towel. I run my fingers over it, instantly remembering the feeling of it being gingerly dabbed across my mako soaked skin by Cloud. My fingers tighten around it, and I take it with me to the other end of the room; knowing full well that it was highly unlikely that it was even the same one. Still...It bought me some comfort. Crouching down at the fireplace on the other end of the room, I use my new found magic to light the small stack of fresh logs, before collapsing onto the bed with the towel still wrapped firmly in my grip.

Exhaustion claims me, and for a few hours, I dream of happier times. But eventually, dehydration wakes me up in a coughing fit, so I climb out of the bed and head over to the small sink in the corner of the room. A glass tumbler rests on top of the sink, and it's quickly used to quench my thirst. Feeling better, I place the glass back down and catch a look at my reflection in the mirror, triggering another vivid memory of Cloud dripping water onto my lips when I was too weak to even thank him for it. Never had I felt as alone as I did now...

On the seventh day, I find myself walking through the little town aimlessly, terrified of stopping and having to think. I had no idea how long I was going to feel like this, but I knew that the pain in my heart was showing no sign of relenting. After exploring every shop twice, I decided to do laps of the world, like I was an unappointed guard, patrolling the area. I pass a phone booth that lets out a high pitched chime that makes me jump. Looking around, I see nobody near to answer the phone, but I have little interest in it myself, so I move along, ignoring its ever softening chime.

With only a few hours left before I had to leave the room, I head back to the inn and pass the reception desk, as the black phone that sat on top began to ring. For the first time ever, the old man who owned the inn was nowhere to be seen, so I head back upstairs, hoping to use my final three hours to sleep. I throw myself onto the bed, instinctively grabbing the towel as I closed my eyes for just a second. The bundled up towel I held tightly in my grip started to vibrate, so I drop it onto the bed, and it unfolds itself enough to reveal a phone that was definitely not there when I picked it up.

"Hello?" I say sheepishly down the phone.

" _You're a hard woman to get a hold of,"_ the voice of Aeris sounds in my ear. _"I have left a present for you at the church... I bet he'd like you to be the first person he sees."_

"You don't mean?!" I gasp, but the line goes dead.

I bolt down the stairs as fast as my legs would take me, and burst through the door. The road to Edge was a long one, but I never break from my sprint until the wooden doors of the church come into view. Was I just imagining what I heard? Was I getting my hopes up, only to have my fragile heart stamped on some more? All of my answers lay ahead of me, and I prayed that my wish had come true. I push the doors of the church open, and I'm disappointed when I spot nothing initially, but I feel myself being drawn in.

I walk down the central isle, but my boots come to a brief stop when the placid pool of water ripples slightly, and a hand pierces its surface. Without thinking, I leap into the water and reach down, just as a mass of blonde spikes emerges. I pull his limp body up as fast as I can, but he starts to come around and stands up of his own accord. Disorientated, and with his eyes closed, I wait with a smile, until his mako orbs open and find my own.

"..Claire?" Cloud frowns, still trying to work out what's going on. "Am I dead?"

"I'm afraid not. You're still stuck with me," I answer. "..I missed you."

"I never stopped looking," he tells me, pulling me into him, wrapping his arms around my body. "Not once..."

"Don't you ever let me go," I tell him softly, resting my head on his chest.

That's when I see her... The mysterious young woman that was gentle as a flower, and braver than us all, stood in the doorway of the church.

" _See? Everything's all right,"_ she smiles, before walking through the door with a dark haired man I know to be Zack Fair.

For a brief moment, the only sound in the church was the sound of Cloud's heartbeat in my ear, and my heavy breathing from running for miles. Soon though, footsteps on the wooden floor turn my attention back to the door, where I find Tifa, and what looks like the entirety of Edge in her wake. They all line up along the water's edge, beaming at us with delighted smiles.

"Welcome back," Yuffie grins.

"I'm back," Cloud nods to the group.

"There are still children with the stigma," Nanaki reminds him, as both of our eyes fall on a young boy, who stood next to Tifa with his head hung low.

"Yeah," The blonde nods, wading through the water towards the young boy. "Come on. I'm here," he adds softly, offering his hand to the boy.

I watch on in admiration, as Cloud lifts up the boy I guess to be Denzel, and place him in the water between us. He looks at me with a little apprehension, but I smile at him warmly when I notice the black stain on his forehead. Denzel turns back to the blonde and watches with curiosity as he scoops up a handful of water, and lets it rain down on his head. I'm amazed when I watch the black mark of death run off his skin like mud, but he has no idea what's just happened, until I point down to his reflection. Lifting up his scruffy fringe, the young boy gasps with delight, before turning around and revealing his stigma free skin to everyone.

"Last one in is a rotten egg!" Cid shouts mischievously from behind Tifa, causing everyone in the church to dive into the water with us.

To my dying day, I'll always remember the laughter that filled the church in that moment, and the way Cloud's smile told me silently what Aeris had. Everything was going to be okay...

"Thank you..." I whisper silently, hoping that somehow, Aeris could hear my words.

 **(Christmas day)**

"Up! Up! Up!" Serah bangs on my bedroom door. "You promised me we could go to the Gold Saucer!"

"I really need my own place..." I sigh, placing my pillow over my face to drown out her noise. I was grateful to Tifa for allowing me to stay, but the lack of escape was driving me crazy.

"Come on, you did promise," Cloud reminds me through the door, as he paces up and down the hallway. "Besides... you can't tell me that you don't miss that tacky hotel," he laughs.

"You're not selling this to me at all," I groan

I climb out of bed, instantly feeling the cold chill that my blanket kept at bay, as I marched over to the wardrobe and pulled out a pair of jeans. The broken sword and crimson shield I had wedged right at the back served as a daily reminder of everything that had happened so far, and the ever ticking clock that was looming above me. Throwing on my clothes, I walk over to the mirror and make myself look half presentable, before making my way to the door. Instead of opening it, I look at the calendar I had pinned to its wooden body, as a constant reminder that time was precious. _Less than a year..._

"Come on," Cloud laughs from the corridor, unaware that a little part of me died every time I cross off another day. "If Snow doesn't get to go play, he'll be moody all day."

I let out a laugh at his remark; which pulls me from my depression, and leave my room to meet him. The pair of us head down to the bar, that was full of excited faces; most notably Snow's. But I could tell that Denzel and Marlene couldn't wait to get there too. With Barret leading to way, we leave the bar and step into the snow filled town that was plastered with Christmas decorations that bathed the fluffy, white ground in a mass of colours. After living on an artificially temperature controlled, seaside town, the cold took some getting used to. However, there was something magical about how Christmas turned the dull greyness of Edge into a vibrant town of colours and noise.

"Hey! Mr Strife!" A woman's voice shouts with a thick accent like Cid's. "I got your baby!"

"Baby?" I practically growl, but he doesn't reply.

We all turn around to find a young woman; who was practically naked considering it was snowing, walking over to our small group. I find myself examining her from head to toe, as if she was some enemy and I was trying to find a weakness, before turning to Cloud and watching his eyes. A part of me feels ridiculous, but when I find my sister staring at Snow with the same steely expression, I feel more justified.

"Where did you find it?" Cloud asks her.

"Under an overpass between Midgar and Edge. She looked pretty beaten up when I found her, but I'll take good care of her!"

"Thanks, Cindy. How much?" Cloud asks.

"I'll let you off as its Christmas, but she'll not be purrin' for a few days. Girl's gotta have a break."

"I owe you one."

"No sweat! Y'all have fun!" the woman smiles, before walking down the street.

"Well... It's safe to say that the Farron sisters have jealousy issues," Barret teases.

"We do not!" The pair of us shout, not helping our case at all.

"Cindy is a mechanic. She helped build my bike so I could search the world for you," Cloud responds, instantly making me feel at ease. "Come on. I could do without a 'Highwind' headache today."

We all board the airship at the edge of town, and sure enough, the impatient pilot had a few choice words for us about being late. Yuffie on the other hand couldn't have been more excited, and was chasing Nanaki around the bridge with a handful of tinsel. Serah spots Noel and Yeul, and immediately hugs the young girl as if they were the greatest of friends. To everyone's surprise, Vincent was also on board, so I head straight over to him to get away from the noise.

"Have a change of heart?" I ask the crimson eyed man.

"It has been pointed out to me that my feeling of inhumanity stems from my time in seclusion, and that I should socialise more," Vincent answers with his typical toneless voice. "Besides, Cloud said you aren't to be left unattended near the chocobos…" he adds with the faintest of smirks.

"So you'll be going on the roller coasters with Yuffie?" I mock.

"Baby steps, Miss Farron, baby steps..." He smiles, before his expression turns grim. "I apologise."

"For?" I frown.

"I have been dwelling on my sins recently...It occurs to me how my decision to let you go undetected in the ancient city has negatively affected your life."

"If you told the others, there's a pretty good chance they'd have killed me before I was given the chance to explain myself; possibly breaking the group up and dooming us all. I'm as grateful for your discretion now as I was then," I smile. "Besides...I'm more than capable of ruining my life on my own. Why don't you go and speak to Fang?" I add, in a vain attempt to throw him off the scent.

Vincent's piercing eyes begin to read my expression, as I fear I've said too much. Afraid of his uncanny perceptiveness, I smile at him before returning to the front of the bridge to look out of the window, but not before catching Fang throwing quick glances at the former Turk. The Gold Saucer quickly comes into view, but we land just north of Corel. Our ever increasing party leaves the ship, and we all walk through the town, which looks to have received aid since the last time I was here. The battered and broken concrete houses had been replaced by buildings similar in style to the ones in Edge, and grass had slowly started to make its way closer to the once sandy town.

"Miss Claire!" A young boy shouts, who I recognise after a few moments of studying his face.

"Matt," I nod. "Still enjoying your ticket?"

"Yeah! I was thinking of going back up today!" He says excitedly.

"Then maybe I'll see you up there," I smile, before we continue on to the tram.

"Should I be worried?" Cloud asks sarcastically.

"Don't worry. I prefer you over him...just," I tease, as our group boards the tram.

Everyone watches Denzel and Marlene's face light up when they see the fireworks going off all around them, but I'm looking at Snow. I can't believe how happy the idiot looked, as his giant frame jumps up and down like a six year old. In truth, I didn't know who was more excited. To say I wasn't happy to be here would have been a lie. This structure of tacky excessiveness has been the cause of some of my worst, and best memories. The desert prison below us seemed a million miles away, and apart from an unwelcome encounter with Dio's bright orange speedos, there was nothing that could ruin my day; not even that tacky hotel.

"Where to first?!" Snow asks excitedly, after jumping out of the tram before its doors had barely parted. "Wanna go on the roller coasters, kids?"

"Yay!" The pair cheer, grabbing his and Serah's hands.

"Now kid's...listen very carefully..." Tifa crouches down and begins to warn them.

"We know...be good and always stay with a grown-up…" they sigh.

"Actually...I was gonna ask you two responsible children to keep Snow out of trouble for me," Tifa grins. "Think you can do that?"

"Hey!" Snow shouts.

The pair of them give the brunette a firm nod, and the four of them disappear into one of the many slides that take them to the different arenas.

"So, what's the plan?" Tifa asks. "Food?"

"Yeah, we'll book some hotel rooms, and then meet you down there," Cloud replies.

"After that, I want to go to the chocobo square," I tell him.

"NO!" The entire group shouts in unison.

"Why?!" I protest, instantly regretting it.

"Cloud! I know you just got her back an' everythin', but so help me god, if you let her near a chocobo again!" Barret warns. "We've been down that road before, and it's a dead end!"

"I promise to take full responsibility for any chocobos Claire steals," Cloud replies with a chuckle.

"You stole a chocobo?" Fang frowns.

"Twice!" Barret feels the need to add.

"Haven't you got a sailors suit to get dressed into?" I question with a smirk.

"At least it's a man's sailors uniform! Not like Cloud's dress and wig!"

"You wore a dress?!" Fang and Vanille ask in hysterical laughter. "WHY?!"

"I- It was- That's classified..." he answers, as his cheeks begin to burn scarlet. "Not a word," he adds, pointing to Tifa, before storming off.

"I feel like I've made a terrible mistake..." Vincent sighs, before walking away to the battle square.

I chase after the blonde, who was nearly at the ramp to get to the hotel. On my way over to him, I feel the need to ask him about his dress, but I get the feeling he's a little touchy about the subject. In truth, I knew all about what happened, but only because Aeris and Tifa had told me stories as we travelled around the world; but it was nice for everyone to poke fun at each other for a while. With everyone dispersing to the restaurant, I take Cloud's hand, and the pair of us head over to the hotel.

The decorations for the hotel were tackier than ever, with a pack of robotic, zombie chocobo roaming around the 'graveyard', pulling an old wooden sled. Inside fared no better, and the fibreglass skeleton that I decapitated the last time I was here was replaced by a mummified Santa. With a bit of luck, this wouldn't scar Marlene and Denzel for life- or Snow for that matter.

"How many rooms do we need?" He asks, looking at me.

"Hmm...Tifa and the kids…Fang, Vanille and Yuffie….Barret, Vincent and Nanaki…Noel and Yeul…my sister and the idiot…me…you…" I tell him, purposely leaving out the 'and' to gauge his reaction. "..and Cid."

"Cid gets his own room?" The blonde frowns, oblivious to my hidden test.

"For Vincent and Nanaki's sake," I reply. "Besides...he'll probably be up all night smoking and watching pay for view porn," I laugh, forgetting about all of life's problems.

"Fair enough," he laughs. "Eight, please."

 **Cloud's POV**

"I take the handful of keys, and the pair of us walk back to the restaurant, where we find Fang plying Tifa with alcohol in an attempt to find out what she knew about my 'covert disguise'. I pile every set of keys but our own on the table, earning myself a merciful nod from Vincent and Nanaki when we explain Cid had his own room. Barret pulls out a chair for me to join them, but there was something I wanted to do first.

"Maybe later," I tell him, as I turn to walk away from the table.

"Hey, Cloud!" Cid shouts, causing me to turn. "Why did you borrow underwear from a hooker in the Honey Bee Inn?! Just how far were you willing to go?!" he shouts across the busy restaurant, turning all eyes on me. "I mean... I've heard of method acting, but damn!"

I glare at Tifa, who had obviously folded far easier than I would have liked, and stomp out of the door with Claire; who was crying with laughter in my wake. I get outside and turn to her with crossed arms and a stern expression, but she makes no attempt to compose herself. Almost a minute passes, before she wipes the tears from her eyes and bites her lip to keep it from rising into a grin. In truth, just watching her laugh had made me forget about how annoyed I was, but she wasn't getting off that easy.

"Are you finished?" I huffed in annoyance.

"I'm finished." Claire replies, after taking a few deep breaths. "So what do you want to do?"

"I…er…wanna restart our date," I answer sheepishly. "Cait Sith and the Turks ruined the last one."

"That sounds great," she smiles. "So where to first?"

"Did you want to go watch the chocobos?" I ask.

"Am I allowed?" The pinkette responds sarcastically.

"It'll be our secret," I grin.

The pair of us head down to the chocobo square, which was brimming with people that were hastily taking bets on their favourite chocobo. I almost expect Barret to be stood at the entrance like a giant bouncer, ready to turn Claire away, but we enter without fuss and head over to the central betting desk. The pictures and stats of each bird that was about to race, were plastered across a ring of screens above the book keeper's heads, and the pair of us read them carefully. I read the odds to see who was favourite, and it came as no surprise when I see Teioh and his jockey, Joe. I had met him briefly when I was trying to secure my freedom, and after reading his near perfect win record, he was the obvious choice.

"I'll make you a deal," I say as I turn to Claire. "We'll both make a bet...If I win, we get to do what I want next; and if you win, then you get to decide."

"Deal- Hang on...just what exactly do you want to do next?" she looks at me nervously.

"Something we've done here before." I answer as diplomatically as possible, after instantly realizing what she was referring to.

"Who do you choose?"

"Teioh is the clear winner," I answer, matter of factly.

"Let's go and see them first before I make my choice."

We make our way over to the back of the square, where the start finish line was situated, and Claire unceremoniously barges her way to the front to take a look at the chocobos. Joe spots us, and waves us over for a closer look, but Claire heads straight for a pure white bird at the end that was kicking and snapping at the gate it was behind.

"Woah, careful miss!" one of the riders warn. "That one's a fresh catch. It's his first race and he's a bit of a wild one."

I watch as Claire does what she normally does, and completely disregards people's warnings, and reaches out to touch the snow white bird. To our surprise, the woman who had suffered great misfortune in the presence of chocobos, calms the giant bird with her touch, and it even bows its head submissively.

"What's its name?" Claire asks.

"Sleipnir," a short rider dressed in white to match the chocobo answers with an aggressive tone. "Why I have to ride the feral beast is beyond me..." he huffs.

"Scared?" The pinkette asks, as I'm already mentally preparing my plea to Dio. "He looks harmless to me."

"If he's so harmless, you ride the damn thing," the man barks, expecting her to decline.

"With pleasure," Clare answers, jumping onto the back of the bird.

"Claire, I'm having flashbacks..." I sigh.

"Third time lucky, right?" she winks.

"You've already had a third time, and that wasn't lucky," I remind her.

"Relax, I have a feeling."

" **Jockeys in position!"**

"That's my cue."

The chocobos and their riders line up at the starting point before I get the chance to protest, so I head over to the bookmakers to make my bet. I was originally going to bet on Teioh, but I can only imagine the betrayal on her face if I didn't bet on her. _What the hell...I won't need money whe_ _n I'm down in that desert.._

"500 on Sleipnir!" I shout, silencing everyone, as they look at me with expressions of pity as I collect my ticket.

The race starts, but my attention is pulled away by my phone, which rings loudly in my pocket. I read the caller ID, and let it ring out when I realize it was Barret. I was in no mood to discover what else Tifa had told them, but the phone rings again and again until I finally force myself to answer.

" _What are you doin'?"_

"I'm at the arcade, why?" I lie.

" _You are aware that there's TVs in this restaurant? TV's that seem to be showing a jockey with a striking resemblance to Light, racing as we speak."_

"She had a feeling..." I feebly try to defend my lack of effort in stopping her.

" _So do I, Cloud! And it ain't a good one!"_

"Everything is under control," I assure him, before sliding the phone back into my packet. "I hope..."

" **And the winner is...Sleipnir!"**

I turn back around with a smug expression and collect my winnings from the Bookkeeper, as the crowd around me lets out a mass sigh. I return back to the line, where Claire jumps off her chocobo and strokes its feathery mane. An exhausted Joe pats her on the shoulder for her victory, and gives me another nod, before returning his chocobo to its stable.

"Looks like I win, so I decide," The pinkette grins.

"Actually, you never made a bet; but I did," I reply, holding out a large pile of Gil.

"Okay then, what do you want to do next," she asks.

"One of my happiest memories was with you on the gondola...thinking about the few hours I spent with you here got me through some dark times..."

 **Claire's POV**

"Cloud..." I say softly after hearing those words.

I forget about the mass of people all around me, and look into a pair of eyes that look at me like I'm the most important thing in the whole world. Like me, he hated to show any weakness or vulnerability, but here he was, telling me that I was the one he thought about when I was at his lowest. My heart flutters when his fingers wrap around my own, and he slowly escorts me out of the noisy square and back towards the gondolas. When we finally get there, the blonde pays for two tickets and the pair of us climb in.

"This place is important to me too," I begin. "When I felt Etro's throne turn me into crystal, I remembered how happy you made me. After all of the grief I'd put you through, you still gave me my day of happiness. You've always put me first, and always came to my rescue, but I never understood why..."

"Because I love you, Claire Farron," he answers, with a look of undeniable sincerity in his glowing eyes.

"I love you too," I reply, leaning into him for a kiss.

"WAIT!" I hear my sister shout, as she throws her body between the closing gondola doors.

"Serah, you mean the world to me, but this better be important," I warn.

"It is!" she protests. "It's Mog! He's a new attraction here! They're making him do all sorts of horrible stuff!"

"Mog's on this world?" I question, looking to Cloud.

"Come on, we've got all of the time in the world to do this," Cloud smiles. "Let's go help Mog."

If only he knew that time was something I did not have...but Mog was an important part of our lives, and the little moogle did his very best to keep Serah safe when I was unable to. He was family. The three of us, led by Serah head to the Event square, where we find Mog on stage, being forced to do tricks in front of a laughing crowd. To my surprise, it was Cloud who begins to storm over to the stage, but I catch up to him and pull him back.

"Let's speak to Dio first," I suggest. "I'll phone the others."

The three of us head to the battle square, where everyone is waiting; apart from Tifa, who had taken the kids to bed. They all look at me like I'm some sort of idiot, as I explain to them that moogles are real, and Cid makes a motion to suggest I had been drinking. I begin to argue with the irritating pilot, but I stop when I spot Cloud and Serah marching up to Dio's office.

"Wait here," I command.

"Like hell. You begging some greased up millionaire to give back your unicorn is a rare opportunity," Cid teases.

"Fine, but leave the talking to me." I warn.

We catch up to Cloud and Serah, just as he barges into Dio's office without knocking. The shiny man sat on the corner of his desk, combing his chest hair, when he looks up at us in disbelief until he recognises Cloud, and stands up with a grin.

"Cloud, my boy! What can I do for you?!" He shouts, opening his baby oiled arms to offer Cloud a hug.

"You've got someone here that belongs to my friend here," the blonde answers with folded arms.

"And who might that be, boy?"

"The moogle you've got performing circus tricks!" Serah shouts.

"That moogle is company property, miss. We found him wandering around Corel. And with no tag, how can you claim he's yours?" Dio questions

"Tag?! He's not a pet! He's my friend!" My sister barks.

"Listen..." Cloud begins, trying to remain as diplomatic as possible. "How much for him?"

"I'm sorry, boy, but he's not for sale."

"Well... I did try," The blonde sighs, right before my sister knocks the man to the ground with a single punch.

"Serah... I want you to know that I've never been more proud of you," I laugh. "But we're in serious trouble if we're not out of here by the time he wakes up."

"Maybe he doesn't have to wake up," Cid suggests.

"Cid, he may be a vile man, but we can't kill him," Cloud interjects.

"We ain't gonna kill him. You just pick his baby oiled ass up and follow me," the pilot commands, lighting up a cigarette and holding it to the fire alarm.

Seconds later, the fire alarms begin to screech, and the battle square quickly begins to empty as we carry Dio's unconscious body outside to the others. Barret buries his head in his hand and the sight of us, but we walk past him and up the steps to the north, where the arena stood. We open the large, wooden doors; but not before Cloud points to the leader board, making sure everyone saw that he was still at the top.

"Cid, where are we going?" I ask.

"Taking out the trash," the pilot answers. "Just think of how many innocent people he's thrown into that sandbox below...apart from you, Light. You deserved it."

"Hey!" I shout, although I fear he may have had a point.

We march through the arena and through the rear door that lead to a small room with a circular trap door in the centre, with the words 'Gateway to Heaven', sarcastically etched into them. Even now, the place sent a shiver down my spine, and I feel a sense of justice as I drop the man onto it. The cold iron trapdoor brings Dio back around, and he hesitantly stands up with a look of confusion.

"Here, hold this," Cid tells Dio, as he hands a purple bottle to the confused muscle man.

"What's this for?" Dio frowns, looking distinctly panicked.

"Well... The way I see it, is you have two options," Cid begins, as I try to work out what was in the bottle. "You can cover your body with it and hope they don't get a good grip on ya, or you can use it for its intended purpose...just don't clench...I hear it hurts more," he continues, as I watch the colour run from Dio's face. "Serah, if you would be so kind."

"W- Wait, Waaaaaaaaaaiii….." Dio pleads, as he disappears down the chute.

"Cid, what was in the bottle?" Cloud asks.

"Astroglide," He answer's proudly.

"Shaving foam?"

"No, lube you idiot..." Cid sighs.

"Why would he need lube in a pris- oh... oh, Cid, that's quite mean," Serah blushes.

"Trust me, after a couple of days, He'll wish I'd have given him a bigger bottle."

"So what now?" Serah asks.

"Now we go get Mog," Cloud tells her.

 **A/N: Just like to give a massive thank you to LadyA, who has spent ages looking over this chapter for me, and fixing my fuck ups. What the chapter is now, and what it was a few days ago.. Well, it's like night and day.**

 **I hope you all found this one a little more entertaining, and something a bit different from the usual, serious stuff. I'm just glad I don't have to do look at that fight scene again lol. I must have spent days freeze framing advent children. Thanks for all of your reviews, and hello to my new reviewers!**

 **Let me know what you think!**

 **Wolf**


	73. Chapter 73

**Cid's POV**

"So let me get this straight.. Moogles are real? It's not just Reeve and one of his daft toys?" I question, unconvinced that the moody pinkette hadn't been drinking.

"You'll see for yourself in a minute, Cid," Serah assures me. "It's not a make believe creature, like a horse."

"Wait," Light commands, as we exit the arena to meet up with the others.

"It's like she's determined to keep us in the crime scene," I sigh.

Barret looks to me for answers, but all I can do is shrug, causing him to tut in annoyance. Moody jogs back up to Dio's office with Serah, Snow and the love sick puppy in her wake, so I march after them out of curiosity. When I finally stroll back inside of the office, I find Light typing away at the computer on the desk, before finally writing something down on a piece of paper.

"Is now really the time to be writing down your Christmas list?" I huff.

"I'm not," moody hisses, "I'm assigning a new owner of the Gold Saucer."

We all watch on with puzzled looks as Light finishes her letter, and when she finally turns it to us to read, and I couldn't be more proud of how devious she could be. I throw Cloud a look of pity when I realize he'd have to put up with her for the rest of his life, but he's too busy reading the note.

' _After years at the helm of this magnificent establishment,_ _I have decided to leave it all behind and_ _do some travelling._ _I may not return from whichever sandy part of the world I find myself in,_ _and maybe I'll find love_ _down_ _there. I have selected a suitable replacement, with a young and exciting p_ _ersonality, which is what this place needs right now. He currently holds a golden ticket for the park. His name is Matt and his ID number is 45572. Make him feel welcome, and help him in any way you can._

 _Dio'_

"Now that is one calculating mind," I praise, "I like it."

"Oh, Light! It's just like Willy Wonka!" Serah shouts as she finishes reading it.

"I don't wanna know what you call Snow in the bedroom," I laugh, causing the pair of them to turn bright red, and Light to briefly have to acknowledge that they were sleeping together.

"Come on. It's not gonna take long to realise that there wasn't a fire," Cloud points out, holding out a small stack of Gil. "Take everyone back to the hotel bar, and Barret a drink before his nerves are shattered."

"Now that, I can do," I grin, taking the money and leading everyone but Cloud and Light to the bar.

 **Cloud's POV**

"We're not meant to enjoy ourselves here, are we?" I sigh in annoyance at the constant interruptions.

"The night's still young," she smiles at me reassuringly, "come on, let's go get Mog."

The pair of us make our way down the stairs and into the 'Event' tube, just as people start filtering back in to the battle square. With a bit of luck, Claire's forgery would pass, and we'd be able to go about our business without question. The tube linking the battle square to the event square starts to level out, and the loud music hit us before our eyes fall upon the stage. I look down at the mass of people, all focusing their attention to the wooden stage, where Mog was being coerced into performing circus acts.

For a moment, the pair of us have our eyes fixed on the stage, but a large bang quickly causes us both to spin on the spot and reach for weapons that weren't there. A shower of metallic confetti rains down on us, adding to the confusion. When it finally clears, we're met with an over enthusiastic girl who begins to clap violently.

"Congratulations! You're the 1000th couple today!" She practically screams, making me wince, "and what a cute one at that! You get to be part of tonight's act!"

"Not interested.." We reply in unison, causing Claire to smirk.

"You wouldn't like to be on stage with the Moogle?" The woman asks in sheer disbelief.

The pair of us share a quick glance; instantly forming a silent plan, before we turn back to the woman, who waits with anticipation.

"We'd love to," The pinkette answers with a sinister smile.

We're lead around the edge of the large theatre, and through the back of the stage, where Mog catches a quick glance at us. I place my finger over my lips and give the strange creature a wink to let him know everything was going to be all right, and he turns back to his captivated audience and continues to entertain them. The pinkette scans the dimly lit back stage; no doubt for an escape route, as I think of a way of getting Mog without causing a scene.

"Wait here please," the woman instructs, "In a few minutes, the music will begin and introduce you both. You'll be Sir Alfred, and you'll be Princess Rosa- Don't look so worried. All you need to do is follow the instructions from the actors on stage," She assures up, before rushing back to the door.

"Is it too late to just storm the stage and take him?" Claire questions.

"I'm afraid so.." I sigh, "if we don't do this without casting suspicion on ourselves, we'll put the others at risk. Besides, do you want to be sharing a sandpit with Dio tonight?" I smirk.

Claire shudders at the thought, as I begin to stroll around the darkened room. All along the edge of the room were tables that held messy piles of theatre equipment, so I go and see if I can put any to use. I hastily scan through all of the harnesses, speakers and lightning filters, when I come across a black remote with the words 'lighting control' written on a sticker on the back. After making sure nobody was looking, I pocket the remote and return to Claire, who was watching with curiosity.

"I've got an ide-" I begin, but I'm cut off by the event organiser, who practically pushes me on stage.

" _Just then, the legendary hero, Alfred, appears!"_ Someone shouts as I stumble onto the stage to a round of applause, followed closely by a knight, whose armour looked like it was made of kitchen foil.

"Oh, you must be the legendary hero, Alfred!" The knight shouts to the audience. "…..Hey, it's your line.. Yes, you," he mutters to me, "I know in my soul.. Please save Princess Rosa! Please talk to the king!"

The knight steps back out of the blinding spotlight, just before a large man that reminded me of the late President Shinra, danced his way from behind the curtain and into the spotlight with me. The portly, pretend king looks at me in hope, but I stand in silence, more concerned about where Mog was.

"Oh legendary hero, Alfred! You have come to save my beloved Rosa!" The king shouts dramatically. "On the peak of a dangerous mountain, dwells the evil Moogle King, Mogzilla! He has kidnapped the princess! … But you can't defeat the Moogle King now! Talk to the Knight or the Wizard to help you!"

An old bearded man with a pointed hat twirls onto the stage far more nimbly than I expected, and stands next to the knight, and I can't help but frown at how ridiculous they look. I catch a glimpse of Mog and Claire, who are waiting on the side-line for their part, as I change my plan. Mog had an impressive ability to transform into other objects; namely Serah's bow sword. That would be how I get him..

"Sword," I demand bluntly to the knight, who clearly wasn't expecting such a response.

Reluctantly, he hands me his rubber sword, before gasping dramatically as he points to the left of the stage. I try my best to retain my laughter, as I watch Lightning stomp onto the stage with her arms crossed and an unamused expression. Mog followed behind, roaring at the audience, while adjusting his tiny gold crown. I can't help but think he was actually enjoying this.

"I am Mogzilla! I have been expecting you, Cl- Alfred!" Mog growls. If he wasn't a foot tall I may have been scared..

"Oh, please help me, legendary hero.." Claire says in the least enthusiastic voice imaginable.

I glance down to my sword, and then look at Mog, hoping he understands what I'm referring to, but it takes Claire to mumble under her breathe for the message to sink in. Slowly sinking my free hand into my pocket, I give Claire a nod to tell her to get ready, before I plunge the room into darkness with the remote. I throw the rubber sword back behind the curtain, just in time to catch Mog, who had transformed into a perfect replica of the weapon in mid-air. Pressing the remote again, I flick the lights back on, and the whole room gasps in surprise when they don't see the Moogle.

" _ **Ladies and gentlemen! Give it up for our wonderful helpers!"**_ A voice over the speakers shouts, unable to hide the distress in their voice, _**"**_ _ **a**_ _ **nd that's all we have time for tonight, folks. Please make your way out in an orderly fashion."**_

We're ushered off the stage in a hurry, and immediately head into the crowd of people; who were now making a charge to the exit. As I'd hoped, nobody noticed I was walking away with their 'prop', and soon enough, we were walking through the mock graveyard, back to the hotel. Unable to contain his excitement, the sword that Mog was disguised as, leaps out of my hand and transforms into the Moogle.

"You rescued me, Kupo!" He shouts gratefully in his high pitched voice.

"Mog!" I shout, plucking him from the air and gripping him tightly, "you need to act like a stuffed Moogle while we're here, or they'll come for you," I warn.

"Cloud's right," Claire agrees, "Stay still until you're in Serah's room.. It's good to see you again, Mog.." She adds with a smile, as she takes the Moogle from me.

The pair of us walk up the stone steps and enter the hotel, which is surprisingly quiet. My eye catches the grandfather clock near the red velvet staircase, and it soon becomes clear why. Assuming everyone must be in bed, I head up the stairs with Claire in my wake, and the pair of us stop outside of Serah's room. I let out a brief chuckle when the pinkette places her ear against the door before knocking. Clearly, Cid's words had stuck in her head after all of this time.

"Light?.. What time is it?.." The younger Farron mumbles as she opens the door. "Mog!"

Mog jumps into Serah's arms, and the pair of them share a warm embrace. The little creature was sometimes a pain, but I was glad we got him back. We bid the pair of them goodnight, and then I'm alone once more with Claire.

"Tired?" I ask, noticing a yawn escape her pale lips.

"Very," She nods, "But how about a drink?"

"That's not a bad idea," I agree.

We head back down the staircase, and make our way to the hotel's bar, which was empty apart from the bartender and Cid; who was barely visible behind a cloud of cigarette smoke. Claire tenses up briefly; no doubt readying herself for another conversation with the pilot, as he stands up and walks towards us.

"Relax, Moody. I'll leave you two in peace. I know y'all don't get a lot of it," Cid tells her.

"You can say that again.." Claire sighs.

"Livin' with Tifa gettin' a bit much?" He questions.

"I am grateful," The rose haired woman quickly states, "but I wouldn't mind some more peace and quiet."

"Well, you two love birds jus' pick a spot. I'm sure we could get you somethin' built. Not like we ain't done it before."

I feel my cheeks burn at Cid's implication that we'd be living together, and I can't help but wonder if that's what Claire wants. The pair of us share an awkward glance, and I find her cheeks flush as well. My attention turns back to the pilot; who's shaking his head with his arms crossed.

"For the love of Gaia.. You like him, he likes you. Stop fuckin' around!" The pilot shouts, before stomping off to his room.

 **Claire's POV**

Cid leaves abruptly after successfully managing to create yet another awkward situation, leaving the pair of us alone in the bar. The worst thing was, everything he said was true. I loved Cloud more than anything in the world, but the battle in my head between my happiness and the grim reality I was destined to suffer, kept me from getting to close. The blonde looks at me with his piercing blue eyes, looking for some kind of response, and at first I don't have one.

"Maybe Cid's right," I say finally, feeling a little part of me die inside as I agree with the pilot. "the time we have is precious.. Do you want to spend it with me?"

"Of course I do.. More than anything," he smiles, taking my hand, "Come on, let's get a drink."

I find a dark corner of the empty room to sit in, while Cloud heads to the bar; returning after a few minutes with a large frosted bottle and two glasses. His beautiful eyes glow in the darkness as he takes a seat and pours two drinks. I take the glass with a smile and take a sip of the clear liquid, quickly determining it was some sort of spirit, but it was pleasant. And after the day we've had, it couldn't be strong enough.

"Are we ever going to have a quiet day?" I ask.

"Probably not," The blonde laughs, "But we'll get through it.. Together."

"Have you thought about where you want to live?" I question, hoping to keep the subject of 'us', "what about Nibelheim?" I add, instantly regretting my words when his smile drops slightly.

"That place is in my past. A dark past that I want to forget," the blonde begins, "You're my future- or at least I want you to be."

"So do I.." I reply softly, feeling content, "All right then, Mr Strife, where in the world would you like to live?"

"I've never given it much thought. I didn't think I'd live this long," he scoffs, "Somewhere warm," he adds vaguely, knowing I wanted some sort of answer from him.

"I'm sure Dio's looking for a strong roommate down in that desert," I tease.

"I hope I never see those speedos again, the blonde shudders, "what about you? Where would you like to live?"

"By the beach," I answer instinctively, without a second's hesitation.

"Costa Del Sol?"

"Isn't that a little far away from Tifa and the kids?"

"I thought you were trying to get away from them," Cloud jokes as he pours another glass.

"Of course not. I just like my own space," I assure him.

"Okay then.. When we get back, we'll look for a perfect place and we'll turn it into a home."

We continue to drink and talk about the future for the next couple of hours; and in those few hours, I'd finally found peace. What time I had left was irrelevant; I was going to make every second of it count. I was going to find myself a new home, and share it with someone I loved. It was a wish I had always dreamt of as a young girl; a dream that I thought had died with my mother.

"Tired?" Cloud asks, noticing a yawn escape my lips.

"A little," I answer, "what time is it?"

"4:25AM…that's probably why we're tired," he grins, "you better get some sleep. Snow will be up in an hour waiting for the rides to open again."

"I wish I had my gunblade.." I sigh, receiving a confused look from Cloud, "I could shoot him through the door without getting out of bed." I explain bluntly.

"Come on," the blonde laughs.

I rise to my feet, unsure if I wanted to spend a night in that horrible room, or not. If I didn't sleep though, I know I'd end up killing Snow tomorrow. Sighing in defeat, I head over to Cloud, and the pair of us walk through to the lobby in each other's embrace. We head up the velvet staircase, where a line of crimson doors waited for us. It suddenly dawns on me that we were about to part, but I wasn't ready to let go just yet. The pair of us stop outside of my room, where I fumble around for my keys for a moment before trying to stab them into the keyhole in the dimly lit corridor. A shiver runs down my spine when Cloud's hand encompasses mine, and unlocks the door. For a brief moment, I think of opening the safe in the Nibelheim mansion, but with a bit of luck, what happens next would not end so badly. The whole building fell silent for a moment as the door swings open, and I turn to the blonde, whose expression I can't read in the dim light.

"Stay," I tell him, not having to wait long for an answer.

Instead of words, I'm answered with his lips on mine. His hand finds itself on my back, gently pulling me closer as I enjoy the taste of his lips. We part briefly, and I use the pause to take him by the hand and lead him inside. The mountain of worries I had once carried left me with Cloud's touch, and I felt like nothing in the world could come between us. I head towards the bed using only the fake candle light, which proved to be insufficient, as I trip over one of the stupid rubber maces that were scattered around the room. I let out a growl as I attempt to pick myself up from the floor, but strong hands pull me upward, and I'm carried over to the bed.

"Good thing Sephiroth didn't have one of those." Cloud grins as he sits down next to me and proceeds to check me over.

"I'm fine." I assure him. "That guy in reception won't be tomorrow though."

"Just relax." The blonde instructs as he runs his fingers through my hair, instantly making me sink down into the bed.

He remains seated on the bed by my side, with his fingers caressing my hair until I feel my eyes become heavy, and I fall into a peaceful sleep.

 **Cloud's POV**

I look down at the beautiful woman, whose eyes slowly start to shut as I run my fingers through her pale pink locks. What's left of the moonlight bathes her snow white skin in a gentle glow. A smile escapes my lips when I think that I was probably getting more enjoyment out of this than she was. Just knowing that she was safe and in reach filled me with relief. I keep my eyes fixed on her peaceful face as I wonder where the pair of us would live. What would our house be like? What would we do for a living now the world was back on its feet again? I had my deliveries, but I had no doubt in my mind that Claire would want something more adventurous. Reeve had mentioned that we should stop by after the holidays; maybe he had something more enjoyable.

With Claire sound asleep, I go to climb off the bed and return to my room, but a hand grabs hold of my own loosely. I turn back to the pinkette, whose eyes are still tightly closed, but she mumbles something barely audible, that sounded like 'stay'. I look down at her hesitantly; not because I didn't want to, but too spare her from the remarks of the others. Eventually though, I comply, returning back to the bed and laying down next to her. My eyes become heavy, and before I know it, I was asleep.

" _Up, up up!"_ Snow's deafening voice booms from behind the door, _"_ _c_ _ome on, Light. You're missing out on the fun!"_

I climb out of bed, hoping to get to the door before he woke Claire up, but as I open the door to the excitable brute, something zips past my ear and hits Snow in the chest, winding him. The rubber mace that Claire had tripped over the night before, fell at the blonde's feet as he let out a pained cough. By the time I'd turned around to Claire, she was right beside me.

"Oops, slipped," she says sarcastically, "breakfast?"

"Sounds good," I answer, stepping around the still keeled over Snow, "she didn't hit you that hard."

"I'll be the judge of that.." He coughs.

We head down the stairs and join the others for breakfast. By the looks of it, Cid had taken some of the presents we'd stashed on the Shera for when the kids got back to Edge, and piled them on the table. We all watch their happy faces as the two of them tore apart the wrapping paper between bites toast and spoonful's of cereal. I turn to Claire, who is smiling at them warmly, to my surprise. She had made the best of efforts with Denzel and Marlene, but it was clear that she wasn't overly comfortable with children.

Her sister on the other hand was rarely without a smile on her face, and this morning was no exception. The only thing was, her smile was directed at me. I have a pretty good idea about what she's grinning at, but I know her well enough to prod and poke around the edges, without asking directly. A few seconds later, her curiosity gets the better of her, and I'm proven right.

"You sleep well, Light?" she asks her sister, ready to read her response.

"As well as you can sleep in that vile room," Claire answers after a brief pause, also understanding the real question behind her words.

"What about you, Cloud?" Serah continues to press, "you must be tired. I didn't see you go into your room at all last night."

"That's 'cause he didn't," Cid chirps up from behind his cup of tea.

All eyes turn their attention from their breakfast and onto us. I'm unsure of what to say, but I can feel my face starting to burn with their interrogating stares directed at the pair of us.

"And is that a problem?" I question.

"More of a solution," Cid laughs, "maybe she'll mellow out a little now that she's got a man."

"Well I think that it's a good idea," Denzel shouts from across the table, "you're never moody when you're with Light."

"I'm not moody!" I reply with a mock hurt expression, "am I?"

"Well, yeah.. A little," everyone grumbles.

"Cid, does the Shera have a chocobo stable?" Claire interrupts.

"Why do I have a feelin' that I'm not gonna like this?.."Cid sighs, "yes, why?"

"No reason. Ready to go?" The pinkette asks, looking at me.

"Sure."

"You two are together now, spiky! Everything she does is on you!" Barret shouts as the pair of us leave the hotel.

"You want that white chocobo, don't you?" I question.

"Am I that predictable?"

"Well, it is the only chocobo to not try and kill you in one way or another," I scoff, "wait here with the others. Looks like Serah still has questions. I'll get the bird."

"Why can't I do it?" The pinkette frowns.

"I'm more… Diplomatic than you are," I reply, trying to keep a straight face.

Reluctantly, Claire stays behind to be interrogated by her sister, sparing me from any further questions, so I head outside, where I find Vincent. From a distance, it was easy to mistake the former Turk as one of the 'props' in the mock graveyard, and I was beginning to think he took great pleasure in terrifying people. I nod when I walk past the crimson eyed man, and I notice he looks distracted by something. Turning around to follow his gaze, I find nothing.

"You okay?" I ask the former Turk.

"Yes," he answers bluntly, "would you like some company?"

"Yeah, sure," I reply, a little taken back by his request, "if you don't mind being an accomplice."

The pair of us walk down into the open graves and through the tunnel that leads to the Chocobo square. The sheer noise of the place and the mass of coloured lights that danced around the metallic steps leading to the entrance were a bit much at the best of times, but at this hour, they were even worse. We head up the steps together, getting almost to the top before Vincent speaks.

"The man in purple.. What is he?" Vincent questions out of the blue.

"Caius? I honestly don't know," I answer, worried by the question, "all I know is that even death won't take him. Why?"

"Curiosity.."

We both knew that wasn't true, but no amount of questioning would get Vincent to part with an answer, so I don't press. When I turn back to the entrance of the Chocobo Square, the sound of screams echoes between the distressed calls of a chocobo. I turn to Vincent, who flicks his cape from over his hand, and lets it rest on the handle of his gun.

We're met with a scene of pure chaos when we run inside. Scared onlookers hug the walls for safety, as four guards and a disgruntled jockey try to force the white chocobo towards the track at the rear of the building with electro-prods. Despite being outnumbered, the pure white bird was fighting back ferociously; somehow managing to grip one of the prods in its beak and throw the man holding it across the room.

"Get this thing back onto the track! We'll have it sent to the Battle square as dragon food!" One of the guards shout.

"I have a better idea," I interject, causing the whole room; including the bird to forget about what they were doing and look at me, "I'll take it off your hands. It's clearly no good for racing."

"You got a death wish?" The jockey snaps, "fine, you take the wild beast- If you can."

With their attention turned to me, the chocobo sees its opportunity to throw another one of the guards soaring across the floor, in a final act of mischief. I take a step towards it, and the giant bird instantly charges towards me. Vincent begins to draw his weapon, but I stand my ground as the chocobo nears. It surveys me for a moment, and I do the same. Over the years, I had ridden and observed countless chocobos, but this one was different. It was larger than any I'd seen before, and its feathery tail had hints of green at the base, as well as on the tips of its snow white, feathery bangs, which rested between its razor sharp beak.

"Let's go," I say firmly, half expecting to be its next victim, but instead, the giant bird complies and the three of us head outside.

"How are you going to get it to the airship?" Vincent asks with the faintest smirk, knowing I hadn't thought that far ahead.

"I'll have to get back to you with that."

 **A/N: Easily the most hated chapter I've ever written… After a week it was going to be titled 'cancelled' with 0 words lol. Even when I finished, I hated it.. But I've been assured it's okay by LadyA, who's had the misfortune of listening to me moan about it for nearly 2 weeks, while reading over it lol. I think it was because I didn't have anything set in stone for this chapter. I do for the next few though. Going to look into the WRO and Cloud and Light's home.**

 **For those of you who like my story Great mako war, I have some good news. Back by popular demand, but mostly because 'someone' won't left me forget it exists lol. As it's nearly finished, I may as well finish it so it's finally done.**

 **Thank you all for taking the time to read and leave reviews, and thanks for LadyA for looking over everything and giving me the encouragement (ass kicking) to get the chapters out.**


	74. Wishes

**Vincent's POV**

"Pivot! Pivot!" Cloud commands the white bird, who clearly has no idea what he is saying.

I watch on in mild amusement as the blonde tries to pull the feral chocobo up the last few meters of the tunnel that lead to the station. Despite being a great warrior, and an unmatched swordsman, Cloud displayed little situational awareness when attempting to get the bird to the ship. The giant bird nipped at his shoulders defiantly as he tried to get it to duck under the light fixtures in the tunnel, and I was sure it wouldn't be long until the bird's patience wanes all together.

"The Chocobo was clearly not brought in this way," I state.

"Well if you have some way of getting him through, I'm all ears," Cloud growls at my statement.

"I have two suggestions.."

"Ones that result in it still being alive on the other end?" The blonde adds.

"I have one suggestion."

"Then do it, otherwise we'll be here all night."

"Very well," I agree.

Ejecting a round from my pistol, I pull the bullet from it's casing, being careful not to spill the gunpowder. I toss the copper coated bullet on the ground and pull out a scrap of paper from my pocket to use as a plug to keep the gunpowder in the casing. With the chocobo in between the pair of us, Cloud had no idea what I was doing, but I was positive he would not like what was about to happen. Loading the now projectile-less casing back into the chamber of my gun, I point it to the ground and pull the trigger.

The gun discharges, releasing a loud bang that resonates inside of the narrow tunnel. The bird panics and quickly tucks in his neck and wings, allowing it to bolt. A moment later, the bird was sprinting around the station area and the blonde lay flat on his back with chocobo prints across his body.

"What the hell was that?" Cloud grumbles as I pull him to his feet.

"Fear is a great motivator," I explain.

"Next time, a little heads up would be great.." Cloud coughs.

"Duly noted.. Do you require further assistance?" I ask.

"No, I'm good. Go rest up."

I leave Cloud to contend with the Chocobo and head back towards the hotel. The morning sun takes away what little fear the plastic headstones brought to children. It seemed almost cruel to try to make a joke about death, but I guess humour is a subject I know very little about. Once inside of the hotel, I head towards the breakfast area, where I find a pair of emerald green eyes staring above me over a warm smile. My eyes linger a little longer than I expected before my gaze turns to the coffee machine, which I head to without hesitation. The machine dispenses the black liquid into a large glass mug, and I take it with me towards the door.

"You know breakfast is the most important meal of the day?" Fang shouts from across the room.

"I have heard the phrase.."

"Come and sit down and have breakfast. I won't bite," the huntress urges. "Not unless you ask nicely."

A shiver runs down my spine that the brunette picks up on, causing her to smile mischievously. I contemplate her offer of food briefly, as I remember my reasoning for being here in the first place. I once thought that if I shut everyone away, I could shield myself from the sins that failure brings, and before I could realize, that loneliness consumed me. I know I was something… more.. More than what my sins had moulded me into, and I fear this is the only way back from the shadows.

"Very well," I agree, taking a seat across from the brunette.

"See, that wasn't hard, was it?" the bronze skinned woman teases.

"Excruciating, actually," I lie, but Fang sees right through my dryness and grins.

"Oh, very funny. The kids are still playing for a couple of hours, but after that we're going home. Is this the last time you're gonna make an appearance?"

"I do not know," I answer truthfully.

"Where do you live, anyway?- Don't look at me like that, I'm not gonna stalk you!" Fang shouts.

"I do not have a house. I travel a lot," I tell her, earning myself a look of surprise.

"On your own? Don't you get lonely?"

"I'm used to being alone.." I answer, regretting my decision to sit down.

"That's something nobody should get used to," the brunette answers, taking a final bite of toast before getting out of her seat. "You decide that you don't want to be lonely any more, you know where I am," She adds, placing a gentle hand on my shoulder briefly, before leaving.

"Fang.." I speak as I turn in my seat to look at her. "Thank you."

 **Cloud's POV**

With the white chocobo safely stowed away in the on board stable, I head back to the others, still rubbing my chest. Once out of the tunnel, the feral bird became placid again, and happily walked to the airship. But it served as a good reminder of just how powerful those creatures were. I head back to the hotel first, but other than Vincent, the place is empty. I actually notice a smile on his face as he sits there with a coffee, but I say nothing, knowing it would quickly disappear if I mentioned it.

"The battle square seems the logical choice," Vincent says in his deep voice, seemingly reading my mind.

"Thanks," I nod.

It would make sense for her to be there. Barret had specifically stated she was not to go anywhere near the chocobo square, and the theatre would surely be shut down after we stole the main attraction. I laugh to myself at the thought of her on the roller coaster as I make my way to the battle square. I head up the flight of steep steel stairs, presumably designed to keep the unfit from even entering never mind competing. Once inside the booking area I scan around the room, but my eyes don't fall upon a head of distinctive pink locks. My eyes find the doors leading to the battle arena, but they aren't shut, so there was nobody inside. Surprised that she wasn't here, I turn to the exit, and that's when I spot the leader board.

 _1\. 'Lightning'_

 _2.'Cloud Strife'_

I find myself grinning at the leader board and seeing her name on top. In truth, I was actually proud of my achievement, and part of me wanted another go to reclaim the top spot, but I leave the battle square and restart my search for Claire. At the base of the stairs I look at all of my options; each looking less and less likely.

"But I wanna go on the motorbike game!" A young boy protests to his mother.

"I know, sweetie, but there are people already playing on it," the young mother tries to console the boy.

"That girl with the pink hair was too old to be playing on it! And she kept saying naughty words!" He argues back.

"That's why we left," she sighs, before leading him towards the chocobo tunnel.

In an instant, I already knew exactly what was going on, and I find myself grinning from ear to ear at the image. Breaking into a sprint, I head to the Wonder square and bolt up the stairs to the arcade, nearly knocking over one of the staff dressed like a fat chocobo. I slip inside silently, but when I spot them, I could probably set off a grenade and the pair wouldn't have noticed. Claire and Snow stare at their screens with steely determination as they ride the stationary motorbikes down the virtual highways of Midgar.

"Not this time, idiot!" Claire hisses as she swerves out of the way of Snow's virtual bike.

"You're very hostile, sis," Snow replies. "But you're not gonna beat me this time."

"I'm not your damn sister!"

"How long have they been like this for?" I ask Serah, who was stood behind them, watching with folded arms.

"About an hour. They promised me this was their last go," she replies.

"Winner plays me," I suggest.

"I'll look forward to it, Cloud!" Snow shouts.

"In your dreams you big oaf!"

Serah shakes her head and sighs as the pair of us watch the pair of them dogfight between the virtual highways of Midgar. Snow was surprisingly capable on a bike, and they exchanged the lead every few seconds as they turned onto the final straight. I take a few steps back and tap Serah on the shoulder to do the same. The younger Farron looks on in confusion, but just before they got to the finish, she understood why. Just meters from the finish, Claire takes her left foot off the pegs and kicks Snows bike. It leaned over violently on it's stationary base, causing the great lump to loose his grip and fall off. He immediately got up to complain, but Claire pretended she couldn't hear him over the loud 'victory' music that filled the arcade.

"Don't worry about it, Snow. She did this to me on a real chocobo. She's doesn't play fair," I tell him.

"Life isn't fair, so neither am I. Come on, I want to add to my winning streak."

"I noticed the battle square," I laugh.

"I've got an idea!" Serah squeaks in excitement as I climb on the bike. "If Cloud wins, you gotta give him a kiss."

I feel my cheeks start to burn as Serah's comment, but to all of our surprise, Claire agrees without hesitation. My mind starts to race when I realize that she must know she's going to loose. After all, I have ridden a bike every day for the past few years. Either that, or the confidence boost from beating Snow had gone to her head.

"Let's make this interesting then.. Serah climb on the back," I instruct.

The three of them exchange confused looks, but the younger Farron climbs on the back.

"Put your hands over my eyes," I tell Serah, who's soft hands reach around and cover my vision.

"It's like Cloud's determined not to kiss you, sis." I hear Snow joke, and I don't need to see to know Claire was glaring at him. "Whenever you're ready."

I could tell Claire was annoyed by the way she slammed her hand down onto the start button, but I'm quietly confident that I would still win. Adjusting my grip of the throttle, I wait for the countdown and twist as soon at the monitor shouts 'go'. Claire didn't know this, but I remember the layout of the highways vividly in my mind. It seemed like a lifetime ago, but as I race down the virtual roads with Serah covering my eyes, I remember the first time I laid eyes on Claire Farron.

" _Damn it.."_ I remember muttering as my conscious gets the better of me and I rush back to the tank she was being held in. What made me rescue a complete stranger still remains a mystery, but I couldn't imagine my life without her in it. I recall the relief that poured over my body with the mako as I felt her breath on my shoulder, telling me she was still alive, and the feel of her damp skin in my arms as I ran down the stairs towards the nearest lift. That was when I was given the chance to gaze down on the beautiful woman that would become so precious to me. She was frail and strong at the same time, but I knew in that moment, she needed me. Unlike her sister, who sat on the bike, full of life and excitement, Claire remained limp as I weaved across the highway, trying to keep her and the others from harms way.

" _Just go! I'll sort it!"_ I remember roaring at Barret, as one of his bullets zips past my ear with a loud crack.

With my eyes still closed and covered, I lean the bike over and make it around the corners as I remember them from all of those years ago. I could tell I was winning by Snow and Serah's gasps, and after another minute, my screen flashed up with the word 'victory', and Serah let go of my eyes. I turn my head to Claire's screen just as she crosses the line.

"How?" The pinkette demands bluntly as we climb off the bikes.

"I don't know if I ever told you this, but when I found you in that mako pod, I got you to safety by putting you on the back of a motorbike and racing down the highway to keep you from Shinra.. You were still in a coma at the time- anyway.. I remember the roads like it happened yesterday," I reply.

Before I get the chance to even blink, Claire thrusts her hands over my shoulder rand presses her lips against mine in an unexpected but very welcome display of affection. I place my hands on her waist and kiss her back, much to the amusement of the others. We separate when we feel like the entire room is staring at us, to find her sister and the idiot grinning like children. My phone starts to ring inside of my pocket, forcing me to turn my attention to that, and I answer it after reading Tifa's name of the screen.

" _We're all ready to go. We'll meet you at the Shera when you're ready."_

 **Claire's POV**

I had always known what had happened to me, despite my memory unable to properly recall. Tifa and Aeris had told me things from their perspective, but it was the first time I truly realized the danger he had put himself and his friends in to save me. To him, I was nothing more than a sad ornament in the laboratory of a mad scientist, but he still chose to pull me from the tank and risk it all. All for someone with an impossibly small chance of survival. Logic had always battled with the belief of fate and destiny, but it was hard to find any logic in his choice.

I think of how my luck has turned around as we make our way back to the airship. When I get there, Cloud leads me to the small stable, where giant white bird was sleeping, nestled into a bed of hay. I stroke its feathery crown, before turning to Cloud and whispering a 'thank you' in his ear. It didn't take long for us to get back to Edge, where Snow was easily coerced into a snowball fight with Denzel and Marlene. Leaving everyone to play outside, Cloud follows me down the street as I walk along side the white chocobo. Fang had promised to look after him for me until the pair of us had found a place to live.

 **(Four days later)**

Thanks to Cindy, Cloud had gotten his bike back and kept his promise to go look far a place to live. I felt bad for being the picky one, and he must have been sick at the sight of all this sand, but not once did he complain. We started on the northern shore, but the constant sight of the crater to the north made the pair of us uneasy. After hours of tracing the coastline, I wondered to myself if I was setting my sights too high in trying to find another Bodhum, but eventually the pair of us stop on a stretch of sand just east of Kalm.

"Here," I say with absolute certainty.

"You sure?" The blonde questions, probably not differentiating between this and any of the other hundreds of miles worth of beach.

"Positive," I nod.

Whilst Cloud marks off our position on his map, I walk along the golden sand as I imagine what our new home could look like. With the dramatic gap between this world's technology and my own, I doubt it would be possible to build the house me and Serah called a home, but I didn't want that anyway. This would be the start of my own journey, just like what Serah has with Snow.

"You ready to head back?" Cloud asks, pulling me from my thoughts.

"Yeah," I nod, before walking back to him and climbing onto the bike.

We finally get back to the bar late in the evening, just before the bar was due to close. Tifa greets us with a warm smile and asks us how our day had been, but Cloud turns to Barret first; who was sat in the corner with an empty glass of wine.

"Want another?" He asks.

"If you're payin', hell yeah," Barret nods happily.

Me and Tifa share a confused look, but she pours a large glass of wine and hands it to Cloud, who takes it over to the dark skinned man. He doesn't start a conversation, or even ask a question. The blonde just places the glass on the table in front of Barret and returns to the bar.

"I wanna borrow his truck tomorrow. Better to ask him when he's in a good mood later," Cloud tells us, answering our unspoken question. "I'm gonna go and phone Cid. See if he can drop some materials off for me in the airship."

"I might be able to help with that," a voice in the doorway answers.

"Well if it ain't Reeve! Not seen you in a long while!" Barret shouts from across the bar, answering my next question in the process. "That damn cat better not be here!"

"Just me today, Mr Wallace," Reeve answers. "Do you all have a moment?"

"Bar closes in ten minutes. Would you like a drink while you wait?" Tifa replies.

We all grab a chair around the largest table in the bar as Tifa locks the door after the last customer begrudgingly leaves. With the room now void of any customers, the brunette takes a seat beside me, and we all turn our attention to Reeve.

"As you are probably aware, with Shinra gone, there infrastructure that spanned the globe has gone with it. It's making it extremely difficult for the transportation of good, as well as the free movement of people. Probably why your delivery business is doing so well, Mr Strife." Reeve begins. "What I have began to put into motion is-"

"You better not be tryin' to fire up those reactors again, Reeve," Barret warns.

"Of course not. We are currently looking into the development of new and renewable energy sources. Something I was hoping you would be a part of.. But that is a long and tedious process, and we currently face a more immediate problem. The safe movement of people and goods. While the Shinra has done some terrible things, it's soldiers provided security to the region," Reeve continues.

"And death to everyone who got in their way," Barret growls.

"What are you proposing?" I question, hoping for the long haired man to get to the point.

"I have put into motion the formation of the WRO, world regenesis organisation. It will provide safety to the people, healthcare, and the building and upkeep of towns, cities and infrastructure."

"And you would be head of this organisation?" Cloud questions with a frown.

"No. There shall be no head. This is no dictatorship. It will be an appointed council of the people's choosing. I suggest multiple members from each major town and city." The man answers, seemingly easing everyone's apprehension.

"How are you funding this?" I continue to question, understanding the cost of this to be far to great for a single man to bare.

"I have an unknown benefactor who is bankrolling the cost. Think about it. Even years after the fall of Shinra, there is still no true hospital in Edge, and despite it's incredible growth, there is still a staggering amount of homeless people. I can make a difference.. We can make a difference.."

"…What do you need from us?" Cloud asks after a long pause.

"We have volunteers who are eager to help, but lack the proper training. I need someone to train them to a professional standard. I would like your knowledge of the world to build highways between major cities in the safest places possible. Barret, I would like you to head our alternative energy division. I have already spoke to Mr Highwind, and despite his initial reluctance, he has decided to command and train pilots to fly some recovered Glenika aircraft from Junon."

"Glenika's are bombers. I thought this was about peace and helping people," Cloud questions.

"All ordinance has been removed and destroyed. They will serve as cargo planes until we can get a larger fleet of airships. Mr Highwind did the work himself, but you're welcome to inspect them," Reeve assures the blonde. "So, what do you say? I understand if you don't wish to help, but I would like your approval."

"You have it." I answer for him, causing the group to turn to me. "Cloud, you sound like you have reservations, so if we're playing our part then we know nothing gets out of hand."

"Light's right," Tifa agrees with me.

"What do you say, Cloud? Will you help me pull this world out of the mess it's in?" Reeve asks, wanting the blonde's approval more than anyone's.

"Okay, I approve.. But I'll help you once I've built our house. I have a promise to keep." Cloud replies, turning to me with a smile.

"Perfect! The part I am most involved with in the WRO is urban development, as it was my job when I worked for Shinra after all. If you'd like, we'll start in two days," Reeve says with enthusiasm.

"Agreed," the blonde nods, holding out his hand.

The pair of them shake on the deal before we all discuss our new roles in greater detail. With a house soon to be built on the beach, and the chance to roar at some new recruits again, it finally felt like my life was beginning to develop some sort of normalcy. After the now excitable man left the bar, everyone evacuated their seats and headed to bed. When I returned to my own room and shut the door behind me, I hoped that there were not going to be many more nights that I lay alone. Other than our night in the Gold Saucer, we had not shared a bed. Perhaps that was because he didn't want the children asking uncomfortable questions, or out of respect for Tifa, but the coldness in my heart when I closed my bedroom door was becoming too much to bare.

The next morning I was woken to the sound of something being placed on the bedside table. I open my eyes to find a steaming glass mug of green tea and the figure of Cloud. My tired eyes didn't see him at first, but I knew that nobody else would barge into my room.

"I'll get the truck ready, breakfast is downstairs." He says softly, before leaving the room and closing the door behind him.

Sitting up in bed, I take the steaming drink that warms my hands as my eyes adjust to the light that was pouring into the room. I could hear Cloud outside, throwing things in the back of Barret's pick up truck as I got ready, and after a quick breakfast, we were on the road towards the spot I had picked. When the small stretch of sand finally comes into view, I find myself imagining what my new home would look like, falling so far into the fantasy that I don't realize that we had come to a stop.

"What's wrong?" Cloud asks as he turns to me.

"Nothing," I smile truthfully.

The pair of us jump out of the truck, and it finally dawns on me that I know nothing about building houses. I turn to the blonde, who takes out a wooden stake and a large hammer out of the back of the truck. He marches up to the edge of the beach and rubs his hand into the sand, before moving further inland and repeating the process.

"What are you doing?" I ask him.

"Trying to find out how close to the beach I can build without the tide washing us away in the night," he laughs. "Here.." the blonde adds, driving the wooden stake into the ground.

"So you're a professional house builder now?" I tease.

"No, I've actually got no clue how to build a house," he grins before returning back to the truck and pulling out a pile of thick wooden beams.

I watch in confusion as he throws one of the thick wooden posts over his shoulder and wades into the water. Cloud hammers it into the sandy ground beneath the gentle waves before returning to the beach for another and another. I sit myself on the back of the truck and watch, feeling guilty that I had no idea what I should be doing, other than figuring out why he was hammering wood into the sea floor. Soon enough though I get my answer.

"You remembered.." I say to the blonde as he returns for another piece if timber.

"When I thought all hope was lost, I remembered you standing at that pier.. Do you remember what you told me?" He asks.

"My home is with you," I reply with a smile.

It takes another couple of hours for Cloud to finish building the wooden pier, and when he does, he takes a seat on the edge. I take a seat next to him as we watch the sun begin to set, merging with its amber reflection in the placid sea. He takes my hand in his and I rest my head on his shoulder as we sit in blissful silence for a few minutes. Before the sun sinks behind the horizon, I look down at the water under our dangling feet the see our reflections; happy reflections.

"Are you ready to go back?" Cloud asks softly.

"Let's stay here," I suggest hoping that he'd agree.

"I was hoping you'd say that," he grins, standing up and pulling me to my feet.

His piercing mako eyes sit atop a warm smile, and his hands rest loosely on my waist. I urge him to pull me closer with my eyes, and in an instant our bodies are pressed together and his lips find my own. My own hands wrap around his back, desperate to cling onto the moment for as long as I could, but eventually we part.

"Cold?" Cloud asks when he sports me rub my arms when we separate.

"A little."

Leading me off the pier, Cloud gathers up all of the left over bits of timber and constructs a large bonfire on the beach that reminded me of the one that burned eternally in Cosmo canyon. He lights it with materia as I take a seat in front of it, but he doesn't join me. Digging through the rest of the pickup truck, Cloud pulls out what I first thought to be more fire wood, but when he starts to stick the long wooden dowels into the ground I realize that there was large, cone tipped cylinders mounted to the ends of them.

"What are those?" I question as he takes a flaming stick from the bonfire and returns to the strange objects.

"Yuffie stole them from the Gold Saucer," he replies without answering my question.

Cloud takes the flaming stick and touches it against the base of the cylinders and I start to panic when they start hissing and spraying sparks, but the blonde simply returns back to me and takes a seat by my side.

"Make a wish," He says softly to my puzzled face.

For a brief moment, I look at him like he'd gone mad, but several high pitched screeches quickly turn my eyes towards the sky, which lights up in an explosion of colour. It only lasted for a few seconds, but for those few seconds, I was stood back in Bodhum, watching the fireworks.

" _I wish we could be like this forever."_

 **A/N; Life and laziness have gotten in the way of this long overdue chapter. Once again, the wonderful iLadyA has helped me (and threatened me :P) to finish this chapter. It would still be a blank page in Word if it wasn't for her.**

 **Next chapter. Stormy reunion or GMW?**


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